


Chained Time

by Genuka



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Lord of the Rings (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Bunny Farm Escapee, During The Hobbit, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fickle Muse, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Hobbits are Hermaphrodites, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Random Updates, Rating May Change, Romance is still possible but I'm letting Musey decide, Tags May Change, Team as Family, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Timeline What Timeline, Warnings May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2020-09-24 01:07:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 29,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20349829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genuka/pseuds/Genuka
Summary: The Valar wanted a little help in changing the time stream a touch... they picked a group that hadwaytoo much going for them on the catalyst front. Bilbo? Bilbo just wanted the damn One Ring dead with his favorite fauntlings and blockhead Thorin's Company safe. So how in all that is holy didthishappen?If nothing else their attempt to purposefully screw over the timeline (at the request of the Valar no less!) wouldn't be boring!





	1. Life at Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LilBitW15](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilBitW15/gifts), [AiraSilver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AiraSilver/gifts), [Wishfull_star](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wishfull_star/gifts).
  * Inspired by [There and Back and Back Again](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/511135) by ExperimentalNotion. 
  * Inspired by [Comes Around Again](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2064171) by [scarletjedi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletjedi/pseuds/scarletjedi). 
  * Inspired by [lay down your sweet and weary head](https://archiveofourown.org/works/938431) by [Elenothar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elenothar/pseuds/Elenothar). 
  * Inspired by [A Shot in the Dark](https://archiveofourown.org/works/634290) by [Silver_pup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver_pup/pseuds/Silver_pup). 
  * Inspired by [Epic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/972440) by [bubbysbub](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubbysbub/pseuds/bubbysbub). 
  * Inspired by [Into The Fire](https://archiveofourown.org/works/731818) by [blackdragonqueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackdragonqueen/pseuds/blackdragonqueen). 
  * Inspired by [Para Bellum](https://archiveofourown.org/works/660842) by [RyuuzaKochou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyuuzaKochou/pseuds/RyuuzaKochou). 

> This was inspired by multiple other Time travel/Fix-it stories in this fandom. I will try to link all of the relevant ones but I might not manage to get all of the URLs. I hope you have fun!
> 
> As I have never worked in the Hobbit/LotR fandoms so your guess is as good as mine on how far this bunny will evolve but I will be mostly sticking with the Movie verse versions as reference.  
The current plan is for Bilbo to be the main Character...  
Enjoy my madness!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
> This is the outline I started with:
> 
> Bilbo Baggins goes to sleep on the trip to the undying lands and wakes up young again in a field with carved pillars flanking a cave opening. With him are Frodo, Elrond, Thranduil, Thorin, Fili, Kili, Elrond's twin sons, Aragorn/Estle, Legalos, Arwen. They are facing Aule/Mahal and his wife Yavanna, mother of the earth/growing things and father of stone - Hobbit and Dwarf patron Valar respectively.
> 
> They talk about altering the time stream for whatever reason - reward? countering a ploy of the enemy?  
Aragorn & Arwen asked to adopt Frodo? Frodo given option of becoming Bilbo's actual son?
> 
> At some point when they've been sent back in time Thorin & Thranduil wind up chained together & stuck (In a dungeon? In Thranduil's Dungeon? Legalos/company/Bilbo get fed up with the pair arguing? Chain them together in dungeon as prank/punishment? Group captured by Orcs and the two kings are chained together as a form of entertainment by captors because they obviously don't like each other?). Arguments & hilarity ensue until they are let loose or free themselves.
> 
> Hobbit Movie Timeline, possibly verge into Lord of the Rings a bit.  
Deal with stupid One Ring? Gollum? Spiders? Azog? Orcs/Goblins/Goblin King? Orc/Goblin Army? Nazgul/Ringwraiths? Smaug? Gandalf? Sauron? Saruman the White (Traitor)? The three idiot Trolls?  
Rivendell?

Bilbo could feel his tired bones begging for rest. The rocking of the boat to the Grey Havens put more stress on his old body than it was really pleased with yet even so the rocking sensation was soothing for the old hobbit. Poor Gandalf was utterly sea sick. Apparently his new body as Gandalf the White had some balance issues when it came to boats. The wizard was slowly adapting to the boat movements but it was a miserable time for Gandalf until he finally did acclimate. The entire situation made Bilbo snicker and happily poke at his friend when he was awake enough to do so. Bilbo himself turned out to have absolutely no issue and figured the sea sickness served the wizard right for all his meddling over the years.

Frodo, his dear dear Frodo, never wandered far from Samwise Gamgee. Bilbo deeply regretted not having realized what the blasted ring was in time to spare his nephew the burden of carrying it. The mission of taking the ring to Rivendell for the White Council to deal with should have been the end of it for the young Hobbit. Alas, Bilbo had taught Frodo a bit too well when it came to Tookish actions and adventures in the face of terrifying odds... and Frodo had paid the price for it.

There was no arguing that his nephew was incredibly brave and strong willed for having carried and destroyed the One Ring but there had been a cost. Frodo's spirit was near to broken. Possibly it had been properly broken at one point but dear Samwise had gone about fixing it as best he could. It was only Samwise who could comfort Frodo when the night terrors wracked Frodo's sleep and no one dared separate the pair... until it was time to sail.

Bilbo hoped the Valar would be merciful to the child of his heart. Cousin by blood Frodo may be but to Bilbo Frodo would always be his precious little fauntling.

The old Hobbit's eyes grew heavy without his permission once again and Bilbo Baggins, Ring-bearer, Barrel Rider, Dragonthief, slipped into the land of dreams for the very last time on the sea... in his _first_ life time.


	2. Field of Dreams

Bilbo Baggins woke gently to the feel of a light breeze laced with the smells of pine, wild flowers, and sweet grass. He was comfortable and for the first time in a very long time he wasn't hurting. That's when a little fauntling body slammed into his prone form crying "Uncle!"

"Frodo!" Bilbo wheezed as he sat up in the grass.

"They made me small again!" Frodo pouted, sitting in Bilbo's lap.

The older hobbit could tell it was the same Frodo who had seen him off to bed not long ago. There was a look in his eye that no child of any race should ever sport, a look of something broken. Thankfully, Bilbo could tell that simply being in the form of a small fauntling was helping the son-of-his-heart tremendously. While he knew his nephew wouldn't necessarily like growing up again Bilbo would _thank_ whoever had made them both young again. It would give Frodo a chance to heal properly from the adventure to destroy the blasted ring!

Light laughter drifted over the tall field of grass as the pair of hobbits quickly got to their feet and tried to see where the sound had come from. There, off towards the now visible mountain side, stood a beautiful, rather short, elf-like woman dressed all in green. She was standing next to an equally short man that rather reminded Bilbo of his dearly missed dwarves that always insisted the proper term was _darrow_. Near them stood a group of people that he _knew_. Bilbo could hardly believe his eyes!

There stood Elrond, Thranduil, Thorin, Fili, Kili, Elrond's twin sons - Elladan and Elrohir, Aragorn (known as Estel while growing up as Elrond's ward and claimed son), Legalos, and Arwen! They were all looking just as confused as Bilbo felt to boot!

"Come child! Let him get to his feet at least before you go knocking him down again!" the green clad Hobbit sized Elf woman spoke, laughter tinkling as though made of crystal bells sang in every word spoken.

"What exactly is going on?" Bilbo asked suspiciously as he got to his feet, clutching his Frodo-fauntling to his side.

"My wife and I have a proposition for all of you," the unknown man that greatly resembled a dwarf rumbled in open laughter. He was clad in darker colors than his wife. The mix of navy blue, darker greens, and black all came together with the leather to make him appear very much as a dwarf. An idea that was confirmed in an odd sort of way by the next voice to speak.

"An idea that is a bit difficult to even attempt without my permission first Aule," a new voice whipped across the field from the direction of the carved cave opening.

Aule and his wife, who Bilbo knew had to have been the Green Lady Yavanna, turned along with everyone else to observe an elf like man. He was broad of shoulder, strongly muscled chest seen easily through his snug pale peach tunic, dark blue vest and matching pants both with minimal silver embroidery. His eyes shone silvery blue, off setting the nearly pitch black hair which reached to just below his shoulder blades as it lay unbound along his back in silky lengths.

"Eru," Aule greeted uncertainly. It was clear to all of those who were not Valar that Aule, called Mahal - Maker - by the dwarves, was acting without prior permission. Just like he had when he had crafted the first Seven Dwarf Fathers out of stone.

"I am not upset. Disappointed, perhaps, in your lack of trust but not upset," Eru chided gently as he approached the assembled group. Bilbo absently noticed the fine black leather boots that Eru wore matched Aule's own boots. They also happened to match the general style of Yavanna's green dyed leather slippers that were just peaking out from under her long green skirt.

"What exactly is going on?" Bilbo asked acerbically. Valar or not he wanted clear answers, especially as he knew good and well that he should be dead and that the three Durins actually _were_ dead. He should know. He had attended their funeral after all.

"Uncle, behave!" Frodo hissed reproachfully, still leaning into Bilbo's firm hold that was half hug, half protective grip.

"Aule was going to offer you all a sort of reward for your actions this past age," Eru explained gently. "I simply have a better option or rather I have a possible opportunity for you to fix your past mistakes. How would you like to traverse time?"

"Time travel? Whatever for?" Bilbo asked suspiciously. Yes, everyone had things in the past that they might like the chance to change but something told the canny old Hobbit that there was far more to the offer than met the eye.

"Ah, this son of your gardens is quite the suspicious one is he not Yavanna?" Eru chuckled, amused. Bilbo didn't care for the Valar's amusement but held his tongue on the off chance they might get answers.

"Considering he was a ring-bearer for just over 50 years and was able to walk away from the cursed thing... I would say that he has very good reason to be suspicious. I also wont be surprised if he decides to be stubborn about something or disregard any potential threat that might be levied as the nonsense it would in fact be," Yavanna answered in amusement. "No, Eru, neither your plan nor my husband's will work. If you intended for them to return through time and deal once more with the foul ring you must be up front about it."

"Will it heal Frodo? Sending me back to do it all over again?" Bilbo asked, deadly serious. He ignored the scolding cry of "Uncle!" from the fauntling at his hip and focused fiercely upon the three Valar, waiting for an answer.

"Yes and no," Yavanna answered. "Any that choose to return will retain their memories or regain them at a specified age. Young Frodo will be given a choice. He may be re-born as your child or as the child of Aragorn and Arwen. Changing time is not simple even for us as such certain things must be worked out before we send you back or send you on to Mandos' realm. Frodo's new parents is one of those things."

"Another is whether we confer upon Aragorn the life span of his wife Arwen and allow them to chose either eternity or the eventual death of a mortal life span," Eru said pointedly. "Either way Aragorn will be granted an additional hundred years of natural life beyond what he lived the first time. He will still be subject to death by blade or illness only the time of old age will be extended... if they choose a mortal life. However, if an immortal life is chosen by the time when his mortal life would have ended is the same time by which he must sail from the Grey Havens to the Undying lands. For this there must be one last boat with whatever remains of my first born race, the Elves."

"Then you brought my family here to witness my daughter's choice?" Elrond asked. His implacable mask was cracking in a mix of worry and relief. He had always hated that Arwen had chosen mortality and Aragorn over the rest of their Elven family. Even so he had made himself accept it once she had made the choice firmly enough that the power which kept them immortal and counted among the Elves rather than of Men had gone from her.

"After a fashion," Eru agreed. "You will all also have the option of remembering and becoming twice-born within your own skin. However, I caution all of you. I will not send you further back than the start of the Journey to re-take Erebor. It will be tricky enough re-weaving time and allowing things to change under the influence of your new actions. This will not change what has happened in the past for any of you for you will remember it but for all others that past will never have happened and never will happen. Only that which you will experience after your return will be history and true. I will only allow you to speak of it to a select few until after the One Ring is destroyed."

"We can not, not with the continued risk of Gold Madness," Thorin said heavily, gesturing at himself and his sister-sons. He refused to look in Bilbo's direction even as those who had been there remembered how he had nearly killed the Hobbit in his madness.

"As to that... I think that you will find you have far less trouble than you believe but I will grant you this. So long as the Arkenstone remains near you or one of the rings of power you will risk Gold Madness once again," Eru told them sternly. "However, should you commit the Arkenstone to the sea or to be buried in the royal crypts, never to be found again, and any ring of power be destroyed or similarly committed no Madness will ever again touch your line. The single exception is the One Ring which must be destroyed as soon as is reasonably possible and must also be carried by a Hobbit to its destruction. You will have 3 days to deal with the stone once hands are laid upon it by any in your company before the madness will once more surge forwards. For any ring of power... you will have 3 weeks to deal with it once it touches upon one of Durin's blood unless wielded by an Elf or an Istari. If it is wielded by any other and you can not reasonably obtain it from them in the 3 weeks you may instead send to Elrond or Thranduil and you will have been counted as having fulfilled your part on the matter."

"That... is extremely generous of you," Thorin said unsteadily. He really didn't know what to make of such a powerful gift and it had him uncomfortably off balance in this conversation. He wasn't quite yet ready to truly consider that he and his sister-sons would live again, it just seemed too ludicrous.

"Not really," Eru said with a wicked grin. Everyone else immediately tensed, waiting for the punch line. "The Hobbits and the Dwarves will need to have a great deal more contact. Intermarrying frequently is my preference but the Hobbits helping to feed the nearest Darrow community in trade for their craftsmanship and protection with as many communities of each people in easy walking distance of each other at all times before the middle of the next age. Your quest for Erebor with a Hobbit in your Company is just the first step. If I am to continue this new weaving of time it must be different enough from the old one that they will not... melt back into one another."

"I suppose that part of the price for all of this is dealing with the ring?" Bilbo snarked. Of course nothing was simple when the be-damned Ring was involved! On top of that they were being given a task to unite the Sons of Stone with the Children of the Green Lady as one people by the middle of the new age! Was he mad?!

"Of course, I thought that was quite obvious," Eru said giving him a pointed look aimed more at Frodo than Bilbo. "One of the best ways to do that is to have young Frodo be born of Aragorn and Arwen. After that you wont have to work so hard at purposefully changing things if you do not wish to as to avoid... erasing yourselves and all of this new weaving of time."

"And if I wanted him as my son?" Bilbo asked tightly. "It was one of your options if you recall."

"Then you will be made female," Eru said bluntly. "Or rather the sleeping bloodline that once had all Hobbits as both will re-awaken in you. It fell to slumber because the Hobbits and the Darrow have been apart for too many generations. As the Ent had their Ent wives so too are the Darrow and the Hobbits meant to be. It was something I stipulated for their adoption and as an indulgence to Yavanna when she sought me out to help craft the Hobbits."

"The Hobbits are supposed to help our females give birth?" Kili asked puzzled. Fili just smacked his brother for being dense. A tussle was clearly ready to start when both barely grown dwarves caught sight of Bilbo's warning glare.

"Not quite," Yavanna said with a laugh. "Either race can survive on its own but my husband was a bit lost when trying to craft females for your people. Its one of the reasons why you have so few females at any given time. When my people were crafted they became very fertile and Eru granted my request that they be able to act as spouses for their chosen should they be of any race. As it was Hobbits in love can breed true with almost any race. Children from two Hobbits, man and wife, are always possible and often quite fruitful. Children of a Hobbit and one from another race require soul deep love. Its a measure meant to protect in more ways than one."

"Allow me to speak more plainly than Yavanna," Eru clarified with a mix of amusement and seriousness. "All Hobbits are in fact Hermaphrodites, thus being both Male and Female. With such a gift and no protection things of evil would sorely use the Hobbit people so protection was granted with the secrecy being only part of that protection."

"Its one of the better kept secrets of any race," Aule agreed happily. He reached out a hand to his wife and swept her in close to his side so that they were cuddled together where they stood.

"Considering I am a Hobbit and I had no idea about any of this it must have been well kept indeed," Bilbo said waspishly. Little Frodo smacked Bilbo's side for poking at the three powerful Valar with his temper but didn't say anything else since he hadn't known either.

"You promise that I will get to remember? What about Sam? What about Merry and Pippin?" Frodo asked carefully, sounding like the inquisitive child he currently resembled.

Aragorn and Arwen had been having silent conversations with each other and the rest of their elvish family, making their own plans and decisions without a word spoken. As a result when Elrond and Aragorn stepped forwards in perfect sync the other three children of Elrond flanking the pair it caught all but the Valar off guard.

"We have a suggestion," Elrond offered, speaking first. "Would it not be easier if both Oakenshield's Company and the Fellowship of the Ring remembered? or at least select people from both groups?"

"Additionally, while Arwen and I would be quite happy to have Frodo as our son could we not have all four of our Hobbits stay together?" Aragorn inquired carefully. "We would welcome all four into our house however that might happen."

"It appears, my dear, that you have won our wager," Aule said bemusedly. He handed over something from his belt pouch to his wife and received a kiss in return.

"Of course I was right, husband. You are quite hopeless at recognizing family except by blood relation," Yavanna laughed. She very deliberately broke whatever her husband had given her and let the pieces drop to the ground. Not that the majority of the group noticed as several more people were revealed just inside the nearby treeline. Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck, and Peregrin "Pippin" Took - fauntlings all - dashed from where they had been standing hidden by the spellwork only to plow into Frodo and Bilbo.

The pair went down under the onslaught of excited fauntlings. Bilbo was overwhelmed but happily so. He may not have raised the other three the first time around but they had been under his care often enough when spending time with Frodo that they felt like his sons just as Frodo did. 

"Oh, my boys," Bilbo whispered as he fiercely hugged the four fauntlings to him.

"Your suggestion has merit but it would require that you take the immortality option and all four fauntlings would become your children, half elven elflings," Eru told the High King firmly. Aragorn nodded his understanding, his eyes never leaving the pile of Hobbits in the grass.

"And what of Gimli?" Legolas asked, finally speaking up at his father's side. "We three vowed to keep our Hobbits safe to the best of our ability. I would see Gimli's memory returned if only that he might know his vow is fulfilled."

"One of the first born speaking for one of my Darrow? What strong connection have you all forged?!" Aule boomed in delight.

"Fear not, your shieldmate and friend will be returned to you upon crossing paths again," Eru smirked at the Woodland Prince, much to Thranduil's disgruntlement. The King of Mirkwood did _not_ like Gimli but he had come to trust the outspoken dwarf with his son's welfare, much to his chagrin. It was that trust that kept his own mouth shut on his objections and the thought of Legolas' outrage at something they both knew would be petty in the extreme.

"Gimli was not yet of age when our Company left for the Shire," Thorin objected as neutrally as he could. His head was still reeling over everything that was happening in this mountain field and the impossibility of it all.

"What are the risks of these four becoming my fauntlings?" Bilbo asked carefully as he sat in the grass surrounded by the four fauntlings. He was beginning to realize that these Valar were deadly serious about their offer to change things.

"They might have to be birthed before the Quest for Erebor," Yavanna said impassively. "If they are to be of Aragorn and Arwen its less of an issue and they can be born during the relative peace time that happens after Erebor is re-taken. You also have no spouse and placing you far enough back to not only select a spouse but birth them is not feasible. They would have to be born after the quest for safety reasons alone but are you willing to risk loosing them altogether simply so they will be born of you? You could easily loose the ability to bare or sire children on the quest... as you did the first time though you knew it not."

There were dangerous risks for Bilbo to give birth to the four fauntlings in his arms. Risks both in that the change over to female would have to be immediate and brutal instead of the safer more gradual change over the time of the quest. It was also dangerous because not going on the quest wasn't an option to say nothing of the effects of the One Ring.

As to Bilbo losing the chance at children the first time it was a fairly simple if sorrowful explanation. Bilbo had been battered so badly over the course of the quest that having children would have been near to impossible. Even if he could have eventually had children his heart had broken at the sight of Thorin and his nephews dead on the field of battle. The double blow of those two important things, devastating physical and emotional injury, had forever ended his chance at children during his first life time. Then too with the One Ring never far from his side after the quest it had been a kindness that the ring could not corrupt a child born of Bilbo. Frodo had been old enough and mentally strong enough that he wasn't at risk from the mostly sleeping One Ring when he had come into Bilbo's care and had been largely kept away from the ring. Still his brief exposure while growing up had lead to his near failure at the cavern in Mount Doom, only saved by Gollum's attack and taking of the ring just prior to his own fall into the lava below.

"No, I am not that much of a fool despite my Tookish blood," Bilbo said, pain clear in his voice as his eyes clenched shut in an attempt to hold back tears.

"Fear not, they will be well loved," Arwen said gently as the family of Elrond, Aragorn included, approached the pile of Hobbits.

Thorin felt helpless as he watched Bilbo reluctantly give over the four fauntlings to the family that would guard and rule all of middle earth. Fili and Kili grabbing him in a hug barely made him feel any better.

"You can fix this but in a different way," Aule pointed out to the dwarven king softly. "As the first time you forged your Company into a family, do so again. This time do so with full intent and forge the family bond strong and true with _all_ of your Company."

"Yes," Thorin whispered as his resolve firmed. Bilbo would _not_ be an outsider this time, nor would any of the others in his Company to re-take Erebor. They would be family not in spite of their journey but _because_ of the forging from their journey. Beads would need to be made for each member so that they and all darrow knew that the Company was _family_.

"Fear not for the fauntlings and fear not for your ability to have children once your task is at an end," Yavanna counciled. "I will start the change at a slow rate so that any damage you take barring the loss of a limb or your own head will heal by two years after the completion of your tasks. Your own recovery of general health afterwards will match the completion of the change. Whatever spouse you take you will be able to have children with."

"Thank you, Green Lady, _thank you_!" Bilbo breathed. "I presume that I will be allowed to remain in the lives of these four rascals if possible?"

"You will and you will be welcomed as family," Aragorn agreed readily. "It may take some time and clever maneuvering but if it is possible I will make sure it happens. We owe you too much, even if only us here and Gimli will remember it, not to try to the best of our ability."

"I suppose you used the One Ring to rescue your Company from my dungeons the first time?" Thranduil finally spoke, rueful in his statement.

"Yes, what of it?" Bilbo answered cautiously as he once more got to his feet to stand tall in front of the Elvenking's scrutiny.

"You tamed it into something fairly harmless while you wielded it? Remarkable," Thranduil murmured. "I think that if nothing else I will try to woo you away from Thorin's Company for my own court. On the other hand if you can keep the blockhead from falling to Gold Madness once more I will take the insult of your escaping Company but gladly a dozen times more!"

"My hobbit!" Thorin growled as he and his nephews glared at the Elvenking in protective possessiveness.

"Yeah! Get your own!" Kili scowled with Fili nodding firmly right alongside his brother.

"Are the conditions thus agreed upon acceptable to all?" Yavanna quickly stepped in before yet another quarrel broke out between Thorin and Thranduil.

"I see no fault my lady," Bilbo said stiffly, glowering at his three impetuous dwarves, daring them to contradict him with something not of the up most importance. Thorin reluctantly nodded his own agreement and manfully refused to rise to Thranduil's, now obvious, bait. Elrond, Aragorn, and Thranduil quickly offered their own agreements to the arrangements.

"Excellent!" Eru said, clapping his hands together in satisfaction. "Then I will send you all on your way."

Before they could blink the non-Valar were sent spiraling into the darkness of unconsciousness before smoothly flowing down time into their past bodies.

"Will they be able to succeed without knowing the remaining danger?" Aule asked, carefully studying Eru as he moved everyone into place and split the time stream.

"We don't even know how the idiot managed to draw the ire of the one above all," Yavanna reminded her husband. "Just because none on Middle Earth know of the one above all does not mean we do not need to answer to him. Also, they will be in danger from the fool and his plans either way. In this, ignorance until they discover it for themselves will offer some protection. They may never realize we are working against another who might once have been considered for a place among we Valar. We can only hope to change the board enough to try and preserve as many of the peoples of Middle Earth as possible."

"I simply hate to see my children sent once more into such fires that even they may not pass through unscathed," Aule murmured to his beloved. "The rebirth of the world may yet balance on the knife's edge as these ones work."

"It is done," Eru declared a moment later. "Time's weave has been split and the new cloth will weave either doom or refuge by the actions of these brave souls."

"Then let us be about our own business for we can not offer more aid too them," Aule pointed out. The three Valar faded away into the slight breeze, as if they had never been, leaving behind only marks in the grass and loam to mark the meeting that had taken place.


	3. Rivendell Dawn

Aragorn woke with a vicious start, tumbling from his too soft bed in Rivendell. He could tell simply by how his body moved that he was physically far younger than before. He was probably visiting his adoptive family on one of the rare breaks from the rangers and the Duindain. A sound from outside his room told him that his fall from bed had been heard by one of the sharp eared elves and he prepared himself for what was to come as he got to his feet.

"Estel," came a near identical pair of voices as his bedroom door opened.

"I don't suppose the pair of you remember a field with Hobbits?" Aragorn remarked wryly. He glanced over at the twins who were his adoptive brothers even if their sister eventually became his wife.

"So it happened," Elladan or was it Elrohir? said. The relief practically poured off the pair for all that they were dressed in pale unadorned sleep clothes.

"You might say that," the other twin smirked. "We... arrived about a week ago. Father had to press you to spend an extra week. All of us wanted you somewhere safe when the memories kicked in."

"Fair enough," Aragorn granted ruefully. At this age he had been a bit reckless in his attempts to forget his love for Arwen in honor of Elrond's original request. This time it seemed there was no real need to nearly kill himself in a failed attempt to move on to another.

"You happen to be roughly 30," the first twin smirked as the second twin left, presumably to wake their father.

"I had gathered that based on when the quest for Erebor took place the first time and when I had to escort our four Hobbits to safety," Aragorn grinned. "I was crowned at roughly 85. By this point I should have been properly established among both the Rangers and the Dunedain."

"Even when you both went against my wishes and married, the pair of you still remained my children," Elrond commented quietly from the doorway. He had to have already been on his way from how fast he had arrived and twin two's baffled expression that Aragorn could just see over Elrond's shoulder. "It gladdens my heart to know that this time I will not loose either of you to time, just as it gladdens my heart that we will eventually welcome those brave Hobbits as elflings. I will not fight your marriage this time but I _will_ make you both wait until Erebor at least is re-taken and the ring found once more."

"I suppose that's fair," Aragorn said somewhat grumpily. Elrond's laughter at his Estel's disgruntlement rang through the halls of Rivendell as the Last Homely House began to stir for the day ahead.


	4. Stoneheaded but not Stupid

Thorin, Fili, and Kili all staggered just as they paused for a break in forging a commission for a bit of gold to help feed their people over the coming winter. All they had left to do was basic clean up and a great deal of sanding on the forged pieces. Something that practically anyone could do with only very basic directions, thankfully.

"Mahal, that _hurt_," Thorin moaned, his head pounding as the three dwarves stumbled to a safe place to sit.

"They didn't tell us this would hurt!" Fili complained. Kili just grunted in agreement as he slumped against his brother.

"What's wrong with all of you?" Dwalin demanded, having come to fetch the trio of Durins for supper only to find them slumped against the wall inside the forge, jointly moaning in pain.

"Not an assassination attempt so don't go jumping down our necks," Thorin groaned. He mentally ran through his memories both new and old before forcing back the pain and dragging himself to his feet. "I need to see Dis and all three of us need a strong drink!"

"You forgot to take breaks and drink enough water again?" Dwalin asked in exasperation as he relaxed form battle ready to something closer to at ease. Thorin manfully refrained from admitting that, yes, they had forgotten to take breaks and drink enough water today. Nor did he mention his new batch of memories.

"It just hit us all at once," Kili said miserably. Fili just nodded his head which was now pressed against his brother's chest.

"Right, lets get some water into the three of you. Is there any actual forging left or is it all polishing and sharpening?" Dwalin inquired rather bluntly.

"Polishing and sharpening then delivery," Thorin grunted as he almost fell flat again only to be caught by the hand of his shield brother.

"Then it can wait or I can set the other guards on it," Dwalin said gently. He got water into them right quick as the two other guards polished and sharpened the forging order. Once that was done and the order delivered with pay collected the three downed Durins were gently guided into bed at the Prancing Pony in Bree. This was the last stop before heading back to the Blue Mountains. It was nearly 3 months before their night at Bag End and the Durins woke the next morning ready to make certain the coming attempt at re-taking Erebor succeeded.

"So are we going to visit Bilbo early?" Kili asked cautiously over breakfast the next morning.

"We are really close to him!" Fili agreed brightly with a butter wouldn't melt in his mouth expression.

"Who is this... Bilbo?" Dwalin asked suspiciously.

The other guards opted to stay out of the building argument and focused intently on their food. All of them had happily finished up yesterday's commission after they saw how exhausted and silly from dehydration the three royal Durins had become so there was nothing pending. Dwalin had added their pay for the delivered goods to the group's main purse after counting it out properly and logging it to show the contract had been completed and paid for at delivery. Normally that would have been part of Thorin's job as the Master Blacksmith but he had been too out of it so Dwalin had dealt with it.

"A Hobbit the boys managed to meet and had me meet. More than that I am uncertain what can be said," Thorin shrugged. "And before you let your temper get the best of you on this it isn't a matter of wanting to hide anything from you but an agreement we entered into with three of the Valar. We literally don't know who we can tell about any of it. I am honestly surprised I can say as much as not being able to tell you and why."

Dwalin's mouth opened and closed without a sound. Finally, he just grumbled something about stubborn Durin's believing odd dreams as he turned back to his own breakfast, clearly miffed.

"Can we visit Bilbo?" Kili asked again as both boys hit their Uncle with the most pitiful expressions they could muster.

"He may not remember yet," Thorin pointed out flatly. "They said nothing about us waking up and remembering at the same time, only that it would happen before the quest. If I have my time right we have a good three months before Gandalf drags us to Bilbo's home as the last member of the Company. Only we three and Dwalin are currently gathered of the Company here in Bree."

"Can we send a letter at least?" Fili practically begged.

"Are you willing to commit to extra training both martial and diplomatic between now and Erebor?" Thorin asked archly. "Because it seems to me that we three need to brush up on our diplomacy and all of the Company will need extra martial practice for the battles that are sure to come."

"We wont tell Amad about how we died," Fili bargained. "And if she makes us explain we wont make you do it alone."

"We have to make sure we can deal with Azog and his hunting parties any way," Kili shrugged. He was not at all concerned about the extra lessons and training that was suddenly looming in their future. "Besides if we aren't nearby when Bilbo remembers he might try to go after the ring or the Trolls alone. You know how he hated any of us getting hurt."

Thorin grimaced at that very real possibility. Once the Company had thawed a bit around the hobbit they had discovered his discrete mothering and protective streaks. Thorin had been somewhat grateful for it the first time as Bilbo had focused on the youngest three - Fili, Kili, and Ori. It was also that same courage and protective instinct which had driven the Hobbit to protect him against Azog when they were all trapped just before the Eagles snatched the group away.

"Uncle, what happens if Bilbo dies?" Fili asked seriously. "He was the one to find the ring last time."

"All of Middle Earth falls," Thorin's answer was barely above a whisper but it was still heard by all the other dwarves present. The guards and Dwalin stared at the trio in horrified shock. Until that moment they truly hadn't realized what could possibly be at stake from this strangeness being exhibited by the three royals.

"So we go and get lodging at the Green Dragon Inn in Hobbiton and play traveling blacksmiths for the Shire folk for a bit. Letters to Amad and sending Dwalin back with the names of the Company to recruit them," Kili shrugged. "That leaves us close to Bilbo for when he wakes up. Fili and I can stay in Hobbiton if you need to go back to Ered Luin and do recruiting or King stuff. We can earn a bit extra coin for the quest or to send back to Amad before we go while we wait for Gandalf to either pull another fast one or for Bilbo to wake up with his memories of the first quest. Simple."

Thorin sighed heavily. It was true that Hobbiton was likely safe enough and equally true that he would have to head back to Ered Luin soon if only to hold a court day to mediate any disputes and such. The problem was that with Azog hunting the three royal Durins, as he likely already was. Then there were the assassins they had needed to deal with over the years despite all of Erebor's surviving people being in exile. Leaving the two Heirs to the throne alone like that wasn't a good idea even if they weren't regularly too silly for their own good. It was also true that Dis was going to kill Thorin over all of this and if Bilbo woke up within the next week or so he was going to leave the pair of them behind anyway. Dis would kill him for leaving the boys with just a single Hobbit but it was actually better than leaving them with assigned guards. Bilbo could actually control the duo if he had too as he had done often enough on the trip to Erebor.

"Alright, you've made your point," Thorin grumped. "We will leave Bree and see if Hobbiton will be willing to accommodate us and perhaps take a commission or two. A few letters to your mother and the start of some ground work for the quest. We already know it would have been painfully obvious as a necessity by the time we actually left so there is no point in waiting to prepare for the journey."

With great cheer from both princes the party packed up and headed for Hobbiton well before lunch time.


	5. Shire Shift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so I just realized that I lost a decade somewhere in my time conversion between the Hobbit and LotR so just pretend it was 50 years instead of 60 between the two, please? It makes it a touch easier on me and my muse.
> 
> * * *

Dwalin watched in disbelief as the two young princes and his King-in-Exile, also known as his directionally challenged cousin and battle brother, argued which direction to go. Now this would not have been the oddest or most disconcerting thing to witness, especially considering their particular family, but they were standing in the middle of a market. A market that just happened to be in the center of Hobbiton that was filled with wares to sell and empty of any scrap of sight when it came to actual Hobbits. A market that had been bustling with Hobbits less than 5 minutes prior.

"Well then, are they going to be done any time soon?" came a voice from Dwalin's elbow.

Startled, the King's Guardsman looked to his right only to find an elderly hobbit man smoking a pipe. Dwalin felt first shock then consternation at not having noticed the hobbit's approach. Finally after a minute or so of trying to figure out how he could defend his idiot cousin from such sneaking ability he gave up and answered the question.

"They wanted to check up on a Mister Bilbo of Bag End but Thorin, the oldest and my cousin, has a terrible sense of direction. His two nephews are arguing that they can remember the route much better and that we should get lodgings first on the chance that Mister Bilbo doesn't remember them. There was apparently some magic involved which is why the three of _them_ couldn't remember having met him until about a week ago," Dwalin shrugged. "The rest of what I've managed to get out of them about all of this needs more evidence before I'll believe them on it. Mostly what you are seeing is a family squabble with no wish to be threatening or cause harm to your people if that is what you are worried over."

"I see. No need for the Bounders then?" the Hobbit inquired politely.

"Nope, at most Thorin will smack the pair of them and insist on getting us all terribly lost for a bit until he gives up and lets one of the lads try to get us to Bag End. The three of us are just around to help occasionally when those three get too tired after a day in the forge. We also keep them alive if some idiot man thinks its a good idea to kill them instead of paying his bill or some such. Occasionally, all of us hire on as caravan guards but that's about it unless we get called back to the Blue Mountains on an emergency basis," Dwalin told the old man easily. This was not the first squabble he had needed to explain away to the locals of whatever town the Durins were working in. "We three sometimes hire out to deal with troublesome wolves or Orc raiders or Goblin raiders depending on where we are at the time. Meanwhile those three play their trade as blacksmiths and help out on the bigger jobs for hunting troublesome things that like to kill good folk."

The Hobbit nodded sagely and gave off a peculiar whistle melody. Dwalin absently made note that it was probably the local equivalent of the all clear sign. Before he could blink the market had filled again with hobbits going about their business.

"Come on, two of my sons will collect your three charges once they are done while I get your group set up in the Great Smial and we can discuss what you want with my nephew," the Hobbit instructed firmly.

Dwalin belatedly realized that their group of six dwarves had been carefully surrounded by strapping young Hobbits. Hobbits that just happened be carrying solid sticks and wooden handles missing the tool end or even proper staffs.

"Fools you are not," Dwalin observed wryly.

"Actually, we are rather well known as fools at times, else wise the term Fool of a Took would not exist," the Hobbit, a Took by Dwalin's guess, smiled wryly.

Dwalin nodded in understanding, having similar if different experience from the extra stubbornness of Durins. A sharp low whistle very pointedly informed the three royal idiots that were his cousins they had pissed off the local watch. Thorin and the boys looked up sharply from their disagreement and took better note of their surroundings.

"Hobbits have a watch?" Fili asked quietly, confused, as the three returned to within easy reach of Dwalin.

"Bounders are more of a boarder guard and to help break up the local fights at the pub or someone's feuding family at the same gathering or party getting especially out of hand. The Rangers mostly protect the Shire from outsiders," the Hobbit informed them politely before leading the group off and loosing a great many of the strapping younger Hobbits from sight. Dwalin had no reason to suspect they had actually gone off and left them with this obviously important Hobbit alone.

"I am Isumbras Took IV, Thain of the Shire. Once we get to my Smial you can tell me what you actually want with my nephew, Bilbo," the Hobbit told them without preamble. His comment caused the three royals to stumble into each other in shock and nearly go sprawling.

"Bilbo never said he was related to the Hobbit King!" Kili hissed. "I got him to explain what a Thain was once and it just screamed King to me even though he kept saying that Hobbits have no king!"

Thorin swore quietly under his breath but his glare firmly silenced his nephews from further unwise commentary.

"Not untrue youngling," Isumbras Took chuckled. "The position of Thain is the martial leader of all Hobbits with emergency powers when something drastic or disastrous happens. As the Thain I am also tasked to care for the Westfarthing as the general administrator with the aid of the Mayor. Our _King_, as you put it, was Arvedui, the last King of Arthedain and the King of Arnor before that. After his death the Thainship was established and became hereditary over time. It is left over from our allegiance to the King of Arthedain that we enjoy the protection of the Rangers, allowing us fairly peaceful lives. My son, Fortinbras Took II, will likely be Thain after me."

"I am Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror and these are my sister's sons, Fili and Kili sons of Dis," Thorin introduced the three of them politely. "You've obviously met my cousin Dwalin and his two friends."

"Aye, but I didn't get around to introducing them," Dwalin smirked, knowing his cousin couldn't actually remember the names of the pair. "Tobi son of Jinbi and Mono son of Lono."

"Blacksmiths under Thorin and Guards under you?" Isumbras asked politely in clear humor over how they had divided themselves.

"You could say that," Dwalin allowed with a smirk.

This role was a familiar one for the group and they fell into it easily. After all it was safer to travel together as being loosely affiliated family that wasn't nobility rather than revealing their actual places among the Dwarven Nation. Many an assassin would welcome knowing that the King-in-Exile of Erebor was wandering about with both of his Heirs and only three guardsmen. Sometimes the royals went about with even less protection as the group worked to bring in enough gold to see as many of their people through the winter as possible. While not ideal security through obscurity did in fact work... sometimes.

The walk to the Great Smial was an oddly comfortable one as the group of Dwarves contemplated their new information on both Bilbo and the nature of the Thainship. They were also, the Princes noted, being led firmly away from Bilbo, Bag End, and to the south of Hobbiton. Bag End was _The_ Hill in Hobbiton and on the northern end of the town. It was also often simply called, The Hill.

"Um, if we are going to leave Hobbiton wouldn't it be better to just tell us to leave?" Fili asked cautiously. "Bag End is north after all. The big hill near the party tree?"

"So, you have been here before even though no Dwarves have been in the Shire Proper for an age or more," Isumbras mused, stopping where he stood in the road to study the young prince critically. They had only been walking for about twenty minutes but that was enough time to get the group out of the market proper.

"We mean no harm to Bilbo or any Hobbit," Kili explained again carefully. "We just don't want Bilbo to wake up with his new memories alone. He needs to know he's not going mad even though its magic and that we will support him."

Isumbras looked at them for a moment and then something about him shifted. His eyes began to glow amber, almost completely impossible to see in the daylight but for the fact he had started with _blue_ eyes. He would not let these _dwarves_ threaten his nephew, no matter what their stated goals were!

"We Tooks are of special blood and adventurous spirit among Hobbits. Even now the goblins remember when they last had to face our clan in battle. If you offer harm to Bilbo, for all that my nephew appears to be more Baggins than Took, you will learn exactly why goblins still call the warning," Isumbras warned in a low voice. "_Beware the Tooks_! Bullroarer Took made sure of that when he knocked off the goblin leader's head!"

Thorin gave a stiff nod as he warily studied Bilbo's uncle. He was wondering if their Hobbit's ability to survive and protect was more of a family thing than they had been lead to believe.

"What... would they have done if they caught a single Took?" Kili asked sickly as he thought of the time where they had once fought their way out of Goblin Town.

"Nothing good," Isumbras said shortly, giving the young prince a scorching glare. Amber eyes burning into Durin blue before returning their gaze to Thorin.

"I am suddenly very glad that Bilbo wasn't caught with us in Goblin town," Fili said decidedly, having followed his brother's line of thought without issue.

"For you to go through all this trouble young Bilbo must have more Took in his blood than I thought," Isumbras gave a short laugh as the power faded out of his eyes, returning them to a watery blue.

"Can't we just tell him?" Kili asked quickly.

"He isn't one of the people we can tell," Thorin pointed out gruffly. "With how much magic is involved do you really want to try and tell despite the restrictions? Its one of the Mahal bloody reasons we keep dancing around it instead of addressing the issue head on. None of us are skilled in magic and I doubt they were careless with the binding when the agreement was struck."

"Then why did she say to tell them _Green is the Grass yet too is Blood never to be Black least the Trees March as in days of old and cold fall upon Greenland hearts_?" Kili scowled. "Yes, she left it in our memories without, you know, actually asking but what use is it if we don't do _this_ part right?!"

"What did you just say?" Isumbras croaked, drawing attention to how pale all of the visible Hobbits had become.

The princes exchanged a look before Fili repeated the passage his brother had spoken.

"Our Lady does not change _time_ without dire reason," Isumbras said, deadly serious. He rose his hand to keep anyone from speaking. "One of the other reasons those of Took blood hold the Thainship is because our line are called upon in dire circumstances and we rise to the challenge rather than shatter. Yes, it changes us irrevocably but it is always _necessary_ when the call is issued by our Lady."

"Er, we aren't sure we're allowed to tell you," Kili pointed out carefully. "Bilbo will remember... eventually, but it might not be for like 3 more months."

Isumbras nodded shortly and purposefully lead the group to the Green Dragon Inn. A quick word with the owner, his cousin through his mother, had them set up with rooms for their stay. He left them with one last warning.

"Only the Tooks will know and understand what you told me on the road but equally all they would have done would be to bring you to me. Don't bother speaking it to anyone else," Isumbras warned. "Think of it as having used up a coin. You will have lodgings here for 3 months or until Bilbo can verify your claim of being known to him. After which we will see what is to be done."

With that the Thain left them to settle into their rooms at the Inn.

"Could have been worse," Fili opined.

"Yeah, they could have thought we were Orc spies or something," Kili agreed cheerfully. This comment ended in a brotherly tussle. They would spend the next two weeks picking up forging jobs in the Shire as Tobi and Mono acted as messengers to Ered Luin. Three weeks after the trio of dwarves had woken with their new/old memories Bilbo walked up to Thorin in the middle of the Market and gave him a black eye.

"I deserved that," Thorin admitted ruefully, keeping everyone who saw it in shock and from interfering.

"You, Dwalin, and the boys will be in my Smial by supper time with your things or I will know why Thorin Oakenshield!" Bilbo practically demanded. "Don't you dare think that you can stay in the Green Dragon when I have a nearly empty Smial of perfectly good use!"

"I wouldn't dream of it," Thorin said quickly. "We were waiting for you to remember. It wouldn't have done any good to show up if you thought we were just random darrow barging into your home."

"You mean like last time?" Bilbo asked wryly.

"Gandalf said you had invited us...." Thorin said uncertainly.

"Well this time you do have a proper invitation. Last time doesn't matter any more," Bilbo said decidedly. "Off with you! Don't bother with supplies right now. I'll handle everything for the moment and you aren't leaving for a good week in any case unless some idiot collapsed a mine in Ered Luin."

"Yes, Bilbo," Thorin said obediently. He ignored his snickering cousin and snagged his sister sons before they headed back to the Inn to fetch their things.

And that was how the Shire came to realize that Bilbo Baggins had enough of his mother's Took blood to be important in one of the most unconventional ways in Shire memory. He had adopted _dwarves_ as family!


	6. Grey Recruits

Gandalf looked around the audience area at Ered Luin in bafflement. He had hoped to speak directly to King Thorin and explain that he was prince no more before speaking to him about attempting to re-take Erebor and slay Smaug. The key and map he had obtained from Thrain shortly before the former King died would make it a touch simpler. Unfortunately _not_ taking the risk to reclaim the dwarven kingdom wasn't really an option as it left a rather large hole in the eastern defenses of Middle Earth. Something that those corrupted by Morgoth and of Mordor would delight in taking advantage of when they finally moved again to attack the good folk of Men, Elves, Dwarves, and even Hobbits. A situation that Gandalf the Grey was determined to fix as quickly as possible.

All of which lead to his current confusion. Thorin wasn't there. His sister _Dis_ was acting as ruler in his stead while he was off who knew where. Gandalf _really_ needed Thorin on this quest if only to make certain the mountain was actually returned to the dwarves rather than allowed to fall to Orcs or Goblins.

"Tharkun? You had asked for an audience?" a random guard prompted the wizard.

"Er, yes. I had hoped to speak with Thorin and deliver something from the fallen Thrain. I was... too late when I found him," Gandalf offered up quickly. It wouldn't due to piss off Dis, she had a worse temper than her brother.

"Then it is finally confirmed. King Thrain is dead and Thorin takes his place," Dis said, closing her eyes in momentary pain at the final word that their father was dead.

"You have my deepest condolences," Gandalf offered with a slight bow. "I promised to deliver the items directly into Thorin's hands. Would you happen to know where he is or when he will return?"

Dis observed him for a moment in consideration. Thorin's exceedingly odd letter about the need to gather a Company of willing dwarves to possibly re-take Erebor was starting to make a bit more sense. Or at least the part of sending them along with Gandalf to the Shire was making more sense. The need to find a better place and position for the exiled dwarves of Erebor had been obvious for years. It had just reached the point where they couldn't afford to try for anything less than taking on the dragon and reclaiming Erebor. The list of names, on the other hand, that she was to recruit and send to the Shire with the wizard had already been assembled. How her brother knew all these particular dwarves and that the wizard would arrive seeking him made Dis wonder what her fool of a brother had gone and done _this_ time.

"I was about to send out a particular party of dwarves to him upon his own request. You may join them," Dis said regally. Dwalin would be with her idiot brother so hopefully the damage wouldn't be too bad... hopefully.

"How generous of you," Gandalf said warily. He could sense that something was off about all of this but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what!

The last instruction that Dis had been given in the exceedingly odd letter was to firmly press the wizard into joining the party so that he might arrive at the Shire in a time they could estimate. The group was to lodge at the Green Dragon Inn in Hobbiton until collected by one of the royals, Dwalin, or a Hobbit who identified himself as Bilbo Baggins. Dis had received a separate letter from Dwalin certifying that her brother hadn't gone mad and actually did need all these things for the good of their people. She had been heavily tempted to order Thorin, and her sons, dragged back to Ered Luin on the grounds that someone was controlling him or holding captive in any case but she had refrained. Her brother had better have a _very_ good explanation for all of this or he would find his hair dyed pink, his beard dyed bright green, and all of his tunics dyed bright yellow!

"I'll just see myself to lodgings until its time be off then shall I?" Gandalf said, more confidently.

"You will be summoned by Balin, son of Fundin, when they have their supplies and such before supper. The party is to leave in the morning," Dis told him calmly. She watched Gandalf bow and retreat from the room before returning to the more normal mediation of open court days. Hopefully, she would be getting her family back soon but something deep in her bones told her that Thorin wouldn't be visiting Ered Luin with her sons before they actually headed off to reclaim Erebor.


	7. Preparation of the Legal Sort

As the day approached in the Shire where the rest of the Company was due to arrive there were more and more quiet discussions between Bilbo and his three Durins. Dwalin was often found listening in from the doorway or just outside in the hallway. Bilbo had already found out what happened when saying just a bit too much directly to someone not already aware. He truly didn't relish a repeat of the headache and time lost to unconsciousness. It was only his quick thinking that kept the three Durins from experiencing the same thing on several occasions until he finally sat them down and explained it plainly.

"Look, as much as I want the rest of the Company to know if only so we will have more eyes and ideas on how to change things safely it just wont work," Bilbo said flatly. "We _must_ have Erebor and the ring before we can afford to test the ability to share further than what we already have. Before being returned I was given a list of who we could share our situation with and if they could act as our go between in a pinch. Dwalin is on the safe list, as is the rest of the Company up to a point. The problem is the timing. For us we can't tell them safely until after Mirkwood but Elrond could tell them at Rivendell or Thranduil can tell them in Mirkwood should they deem it necessary. We can tell them we are basically twice-born. We can tell them that this quest is incredibly important to more than just your people. We can even tell them how we met and why they've never heard of me until now. What we can not share are the details of the before, not until its safely past again. Gimli wont be under the same restrictions simply because he wont remember anything until he runs into Legolas."

"Its a risk taking him without his extra memories but his skill was well known in the Halls. His perfectly matching combat style with Prince Legolas will be sorely needed," Thorin mused. He was happily ensconced in a comfy chair across from Bilbo in the main sitting room. The boys, for once, were just sitting nearby and listening quietly to the discussion. "As much as Gloin will object to his son being on this quest we need to stack the deck as it were as much as possible."

"Which is why I made no objection when you added him to the Company list," Bilbo agreed. "I've written up a rough draft of the new contract for Balin to look over. There are a few stipulations that you will have to check and sign off on if only because I am not certain that I worded it correctly. Its all done in Westron for convenience sake. I've spoken with Uncle Isumbras and they will begin setting the Shire into defensive positions with a heavy emphasis on storing as much food as possible. There are several knitting and craft competitions set towards things your people will need so that they can collect or trade for some of it here before beginning the trek to Erebor once its been re-taken. Some skill competitions for the festivals and such have been set more in line with things that can be used to defend the Shire complete with Orc and Goblin painted targets. The Rangers will be put on alert once we hit Rivendell as a precaution."

"You will be welcome in Erebor if you choose to stay," Thorin observed carefully. Fili and Kili shifted forwards slightly in their seats, waiting with anticipation for Bilbo's answer.

"Yes, I am well aware of that. To that end Uncle has agreed that if I do not return or send word for five years they will execute my will. As the Valar have effectively adopted out those four rascals to Strider and Arwen their families are due to get parcels of land and a portion of gold from my estate. The rest that remains will go to a favored cousin or default to Uncle for him to decide depending on things," Bilbo said cheerfully before turning solemn. "Thorin, at this time I do not anticipate returning to the Shire. We will have both Erebor and the ring to deal with and should I survive both... I will be too changed to return. I will make either Erebor or Rivendell my home once our tasks are done. There are... traditions when a Took or other hobbit is summoned by the Lady's call. This is one of them. Unless I can honestly live again within the Shire I am not to return but find my place elsewhere. I will be an outsider."

"What happened the first time?" Thorin asked carefully. Fili and Kili were just as interested as their Uncle but they could all already tell the answer wouldn't be good.

"I was in mourning for you and the boys. Returning in grief is one of the few acceptable reasons to return when one has changed too much for the Shire. They labeled me mad for having gone with you all in the first place and truthfully I did not bother to argue the point," Bilbo answered calmly. "Frodo saved me from wasting away in my grief. Thorin, I will not have Frodo to bring me back to any kind of life this time."

Thorin understood what his hobbit was saying. If he lost too much on this double quest he wouldn't make it back to safety. Nothing that he might say would change Bilbo's mind on the matter. Thus it fell to the Durins to give him something worth living for as the Shire had failed utterly in their turn for such a thing.

"I will refrain from dying to the best of my ability and order the boys to do the same, not that we weren't planning on it in any case," Thorin remarked ruefully. Both Fili and Kili off to one side nodded their heads in quiet but furious agreement of the point. They didn't want to die again and they didn't want Bilbo or their Uncle to die again. Bilbo just hummed into his tea and the conversation shifted to lighter topics for the rest of the day.

Dwalin thought about the last discussion he had overheard for several days. Finally, he came to the conclusion that what they had said made a grim sort of sense. It was clear to him that whether they admitted it or not Bilbo Baggins had already become a member of the royal family by adoption of the most bloody sort. Trial by fire on the battlefield to the death. The three Durins just hadn't made it official by braiding a Durin bead into his hair yet. Oddly, it made the old warrior feel better about all of this strangeness. It still didn't change the fact that every member of the Company was going to be trained into the ground each night after camp was set up and the sentries picked. Only injury and sentry duty would excuse anyone from training to keep their hides intact during a fight. The dragon wasn't going to be their only opponent after all was said and done.

Three days before the Company was due to arrive Bilbo dragged his four dwarven visitors to the market as helpers and started ordering massive amounts of food. Some was set to be made into travel rations but most was being arranged to provide a feast for his dwarves. Whispers started running up and down the market in no time. Bilbo finally just announced to one and all that they were going to be having a private party in honor of his Took heritage and as a surprise for his coming visitors. That announcement set the rumor mill racing but ensured they were not bothered over obtaining so many supplies on short notice without a reason. The idea of a special party alone was reason enough for the Hobbits!


	8. Prank the Wizard!

The day finally came when the Company plus Gandalf and Gimli arrived in Hobbiton. Nori was rather surprised at how much envy was directed their way by the various Hobbits they passed since the group wasn't even sure why they were in the Shire in the first place. Or rather _most_ of the group was unaware officially but all suspected and no contracts had been handed out or signed. After all Princess Dis had done a better job at quiet recruitment for Thorin Oakenshield's new quest than her brother ever managed on his own.

Nori knew that his brother Dori and the redheaded Gloin had been tapped for funding. The three Ri brothers, Nori, Dori, and Ori, had been slightly shocked to realize that Thorin had been serious when he had named them family all those years ago. The acknowledgement of being of the line of Durin, though thru a fling with a kitchen main and unclaimed their ancestor had been, was massive. And how did they realize their prince, no their King! had been serious? By the fact that Princess Dis had curiously asked why they hadn't claimed what little of their birthright was available in Ered Luin. This had been asked after a long discussion about the probable need to re-take Erebor and if they would help.

"You mean he meant it?!" Ori squeaked. "Prince Thorin actually acknowledged us officially?!"

"Of course," Dis said giving them an odd look. "Thorin doesn't claim people as family unless he means it. I realize that there isn't much to go around with how stretched we are here but I always wondered why you didn't call on us for meals or aid or just to talk."

"We thought his acknowledgement was private not official," Nori offered up in embarrassment that was shared with his brothers. "It has been done in the past..."

Dis gave them a look of comprehension and sympathy.

"Thorin didn't make it clear?" Balin asked before going off on a muttering grumble. "Of course he didn't make it clear! Blasted prince would rather be taken as a simple blacksmith most of the time. He probably thought that just openly acknowledging you was enough, not that it isn't but he actually has to tell the rest of us for it to work! Blast him! Now I'll have to fix the paperwork snafu this will have caused. Well, never mind. Ori, come help me with this. I would have you know the right forms to draw up in any case. You'll need to know as my apprentice for the future."

Ori happily joined his teaching Master as they got started on fixing an injustice that had been done to both sides of the family long ago. This led to an in depth discussion on when, where, and why Thorin had acknowledged them before shifting to genealogy so that the proper bloodlines could be documented. It wasn't an overly rare event after the fall of Erebor, needing to re-establish certain legal records. It was, however, an uncommon event to officially acknowledge a missing family branch of the royal Durin line. The fact that as past Kings had recognized the family connection only in private meant that the records were getting an update that was centuries in the making rather than just replacing lost paperwork was just a bonus.

Nori was brought back out of his memories of that _family_ meal only to pull back sharply on the reigns of his pony. He really didn't want to accidentally run down the baby hobbits dashing across the road and between the ponies as they approached the Green Dragon Inn.

"Fauntlings! Come away from the ponies!" came a sharp female voice. "They are not for petting, scaring, feeding, or climbing! Not when being _ridden_!"

"Thank you Mistress! We wouldn't want to accidentally hurt the little ones!" Nori called back promptly even as the children got off the road and thus at to a safe range from the ponies. He knew they would all hate to have accidentally hurt the hobbit children but they had no way to see the little ones until it was nearly too late! Hobbits apparently hid _very_ well when they chose to.

Gandalf chuckled as Gimli, riding near his father Gloin, tried to peer at the littlest hobbits darting away in laughter and glee.

"Oi! Dwarves! Mister Baggins said to get set up at the Green Dragon for your ponies and expect to come for supper at Bag End!" some rascal, probably a Took, called to the group cheerfully. "He said he'd figure out lodgings after for all of ye' and that the party was not to be missed on pain of upsetting his Thorin dwarf!"

The probable Took dashed off laughing as the group stared in shock.

"Do I want to know what he's messed up _this_ time? And why isn't Dwalin keeping a better eye on Thorin?!" Balin grumbled, openly miffed at the possibility of having to try to fix whatever this was.

"Actually, from that particular greeting, the Hobbits have counted Thorin as having been officially adopted by Master Baggins even if the paperwork probably hasn't been filed yet. It appears we may have a much more interesting conversation that I had originally feared," Gandalf chuckled. All the while he was wondering how in all hells _this_ had happened. They had never even met before as far as he knew for Eru's sake! How in all the lands had they been greeted and accepted immediately as Bilbo's adopted, by Shire reckoning, family?!

The group left their own questions on how Thorin had been adopted by the hobbit they were coming to see unvoiced as they arrived at the Green Dragon Inn. They got the ponies plus Gandalf's horse sorted out before arranging for rooms. When Gloin went to pay his money was handed back to him.

"Master Baggins said your stay was on him and the Thain backed him up. It isn't often a Hobbit with land holdings is called to the Lady's service but when it happens its _important_. Just keep Master Baggins safe on your trip and you'll have no cause to worry," the hobbit lass informed them bluntly. This information was news to most of the other hobbits as much as it was to the dwarves and set off a a round of discussion across the Inn's main room.

"The Lady?" Nori asked delicately.

"Yavanna, Aule's wife," the lass answered more kindly. She had, in an instant, realized that the dwarves might not realize that the Valar patron of dwarves was married to the Valar patron of Hobbits.

"You are Yavanna's? Hobbits are Yavanna's?!" Ori squeaked in excitement. The lass had gone off to see to other patrons at that point so Ori didn't get an answer but it was fairly obvious to all by that point that the answer was yes.

"We've been looking for Yavanna's people for centuries," Balin said in open, if quiet, amazement. "They've been right here the whole time!"

"Not quite," a nearby hobbit corrected quickly. "We were first from a special valley on the other side of the Misty Mountains but then something forced us to wander for a long time, the wandering years, before we settled in the Shire. Ask Master Baggins about it when you go to his party for you, he should have some books on it."

"Grubb! It was supposed to be a surprise! If you are angling to help Lobelia claim Bag End by grace of Madness then it wont work!" another hobbit shouted in indignant fury before launching himself at the chatty hobbit. The brief brawl between the two tumbled quickly outside to continue their fight as the hobbit lass serving drinks started towards them with a solid looking wooden spoon.

"A Took fighting a Grubb on behalf of a Baggins born to a Took mother," Gandalf blinked in surprised bemusement.

"Lobelia just isn't happy that by receiving the Lady's call Bilbo has managed to forever keep her out of Bag End," a third someone chuckled. His voice was loud enough for the group to overhear but clearly not actually aimed at them. The Inn settled back down into normal cheerful activity as people got food and drink while talking about this and that.

Three hours later the group was led by a couple of fauntlings to Bag End with many a small guide keeping the dwarves from getting lost. The game of keep the dwarves going to the party was a resounding success and many a fauntling happily claimed their prize cookies from Bilbo's basket at the door before the dwarves were ushered inside. The wizard was annoyed that he couldn't get a good look at the hobbit, son of his dear fallen friend Belladonna Baggins nee Took.

Gandalf finally walked into the Smial and took one look at the three royal Durins sitting next to the smirking Hobbit before blurting out something they hadn't expected.

"Twice-born!" Gandalf spluttered in open shock. He had his answer on how the Shire suddenly counted the dwarves of Durin's line as family to one Bilbo Baggins!

"Boys!" Bilbo immediately commanded and the two princes shot forwards to knock the wizard down and pin him to the floor in a tackle-hug.

"We caught the wizard!" the two princes chorused gleefully.

"Boys, put him in a chair then go see if the roast is done," Thorin ordered, rolling his eyes at this simple mischief. He wasn't going to scold them over it because it was a simple way for Bilbo to bond with the boys and harmless in the Shire. Both Fili and Kili knew better than to indulge in such mischief on the road unless the group had set up camp or were somewhere actually safe so that there was no harm in it.

"Yes Uncle!" Fili chimed while Kili gleefully headed towards the kitchen at a trot, hoping to snag cookies before his brother or Dwalin could manage it first.

Gandalf very carefully picked himself up off the floor. He had gotten the hint, no running away. This was going to be a very interesting conversation and likely an even more interesting journey.

"Gandalf, what would make three of the Valar _request_ intentional drastic changes to already passed world events?" Bilbo asked calmly from his seat.

Gandalf swallowed hard at that question. There were only a very few things which might prompt the Valar to officially meddle with time.

"Which ones?" Gandalf asked warily. The confrontation was being watched with great interest by the rest of the Company. They hadn't been told anything yet and this seemed to be of particular importance.

"Aule, Yavanna, and Eru," Thorin answered bluntly. He was beginning to dread what they might learn from the wizard about how important all of this was. Not that they hadn't gotten the hint since it involved the be-damned One Ring but hearing more confirmation of the seriousness of their tasks was never fun.

"It appears that I am distinctly at your service, far more than I had originally thought," Gandalf said carefully. "As to why... who knows the minds of the Valar?"

"I was rather afraid you were going to say something like that," Bilbo grumbled. "You have no idea."

"None what-so-ever," Gandalf agreed. "By the very fact that I was completely unaware of this event I was placed under your command by the Valar. That is unless something else equally important comes up and I am no longer the one to decide that while a part of this company."

"Well that's something at least," Bilbo grimaced. "We will need to check Dul Gor when we get near Mirkwood on the off chance that Sauron isn't poised as the Necromancer hiding there like last time."

"No, our job is Erebor and the ring," Thorin countered. "We will ask for aid on the other matter when we arrive in Rivendell and mention it to Thranduil at Mirkwood. As stout as our company is 14 dwarves, a hobbit, and a wizard is not enough to face off against Sauron, even weakened and especially if we have the ring by then."

"Fair enough. I had somehow forgotten that we can't let him near the ring," Bilbo agreed with a sigh as he started ushering everyone into the main room where the boys were setting out snacks until the last of supper was done cooking.

"What do you mean 14 darrow?" Gloin asked suspiciously. Dread and elation were rising in equal measure as he realized that his son might be joining them rather than used as a last messenger back to Ered Luin as they started out on the quest.

"Gloin, cousin, this is important. Your Gimli needs to go on the quest at least as far as meeting a particular Elf," Thorin said calmly. He raised his hand to forestall the angry words that were clearly building in his cousin at least long enough to finish his say. "Once he has met this particular Elf it will be up to him and his Elf if they continue with us to face Smaug or attend to other matters with Gimli acting as my representative."

"He's not of age! He's not going!" Gloin roared in open fury. He knew that whatever this was it was important but his feelings as a father were at the forefront. He knew his son was skilled enough to be picked for this quest and that it would help him grow... if he survived it.

"The Valar suggested this for a very special reason," Bilbo pointed out very carefully. "Your Gimli is going to play a very important role once we get to Mirkwood. If I remember correctly he's roughly of an age with the princes and Ori under dwarven custom. You can forbid him all you like but in the end he is _important_ to the success of this quest. He wont be facing Smaug unless the beast leaves Erebor to hunt down those we leave outside the walls for safety. Facing Smaug is not his task as it is for the rest of us bar Gandalf. He was not summoned to join the Company on a whim, Gloin."

"Legolas," Gimli spoke in a quiet, thoughtful tone before his father could splutter another word.

"Aye, and how would you know his name?" Thorin asked cautiously, as everyone turned to watch the slightly under age dwarf.

"I've been dreaming of him for nigh on two months," Gimli shrugged. "I kept quiet since da really doesn't like Elves. I think he's my One but not in a traditional sense. From what I understand of what the dreams say he is my One but I am a Craft Son, married to my craft. Legolas joins me in that and we walk as one even as we never share a bed for anything but sleep or warmth. The last dream... he carried my braid and bead in his hair as my One claimed to family rather than match and bed."

"That makes so much more sense," Bilbo snorted. He remembered what he had heard of how Gimli and Legolas managed to become more brothers than just friends during the war of the Ring... after hating each other at first sight.

"You know... do you know what happened to the four hobbits we guarded?" Gimli asked, almost demanded in his sudden excitement.

"You will get that news when you reach Legolas, not because I don't know the answer but because of how the Valar have set things up to aid us," Bilbo informed him with cheerful evilness. Inside he was rolling on the floor in absolute laughter. This was going to be fun!

Gimli pouted a bit in his dwarven way but didn't argue or contradict the hobbit. He knew in his heart that Bilbo was right.

"Right, all of you take turns washing up for the party. We've made loads of food and have plenty to drink. I will not see any of you go hungry this night!" Bilbo declared before chivying everyone into washing up for supper as the last of the food cooked.

The group of dwarves complied good naturedly as they were quite hungry after their trip from Ered Luin. Gloin glowered at Bilbo and Thorin, fully in protective parent mode but didn't voice his objections again. There would be time for that later even as he felt that he would loose on this matter.

Gandalf watched the newly identified twice-born carefully, noting how they all knew the people present for all that they had not met them in this life. There would, Gandalf thought, be time to drag the true meaning of all this out of the four twice-born before they left on the quest he had hoped to chivy them into. It had been a shock to discover on the road that his traveling companions had all been recruited and requested for the bid to re-claim Erebor that Gandalf had hoped to instigate. The fact that the three royal Durins and Bilbo were twice-born made more sense of it all but still randomly baffled the wizard. He would get little rest but for his puzzling over these events this night. Ah well, he could always sleep on the horse if he must as they traveled.

Bilbo cheerfully directed everyone even as he kept a weather eye on the meddlesome wizard. They would have to be careful in what they told him until released to tell the Company as a whole. Time would tell if their actions would be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so we've barely got to Supper time Feast but I hope you all are having fun!


	9. Dwarven Observation of the Foundation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is the foundation of this Company rock or sand? If its rock than is it a rock as soft as Talc, such as Talc rich Soapstone, or as hard as Diamond? Or is it something in between? When facing the fiery forge of this quest will they melt together into Aluminum Bronze, making themselves all the stronger together? Or will they discover that the fire is too hot, leaving behind puddles of melted metal, ash, and dross in the crucible within the forge? The uninformed members of the company can only watch the events unfolding within Bag End, unable to know if they watch gold melt or diamond polished.
> 
> * * *

Oin watched in quiet amazement as his King and two Princes laughed and feasted with the lot of them. Something about this Hobbit had healed whatever heart wound Oin had never been able to even touch, at least part way. There were still moments of the old broody arse peaking through but the hobbit need only scold someone or toss something to their king to distract him into a smile. Dwalin's very lack of interference and occasional glance of bewildered disbelief told Oin, healer of the Company, all he needed to know. Whatever had happened had made such profound strides in healing Thorin's heart that the Hobbit must be kept if only to continue the healing of their once Prince now King. Thorin allowing the fussing and occasional scolding of the Hobbit was a miracle!

Balin watched his brother's confusion and the ease with which the three royals acted around not only the Hobbit but the entire group. The only people he could see that didn't yet have the complete trust of the four the wizard had named Twice-born was the wizard himself and young Gimli. Still their actions for Gimli at least were that of watching over a dwarf not yet in his full majority while the wizard was watched for deceit but not danger. It was a puzzle but the effects were undoubtedly astoundingly good on the group as a whole... barring Gloin's random glowers and protective fussing over Gimli. Glowers that belonged more on Gloin's wife as it had been her, not Gloin himself, who had originally raised objections to Gimli joining the quest. Still if Gimli was to come with them Gloin would have to counter sign as Gimli was not yet of age. This was going to be a fascinating stay in the small Hobbiton and Balin wouldn't give anything to miss _these_ fireworks, especially as wasn't likely to be called on to put the fires out!

Dori chatted happily about the stitching he did and saw on Bilbo's clothes, admiring the stitch work as a fellow craftsman admires the work of a peer. He hadn't been best pleased to find that he couldn't keep at least one of his brothers safe in Ered Luin. Equally, _Ori_'s startling arguments on behalf of both Dis and Thorin as well as the quest its self made sense. Dori was both a cloth merchant and a weaver/tailor by trade with Ori and Nori sometimes helping. Getting Ori the apprenticeship with Balin son of Fundin had been a major coup for their small immediate family. Dori knew that acting as Chronicler for this quest was an important part of that apprenticeship as a step towards his brother's Mastery. It was only now that certain misunderstandings had been cleared up by Dis that Dori saw it for what all of it was, _family_ taking care of one another. It was the same reason why Nori, notorious thief that he was, hadn't been given worse punishments on the few times he was caught in serious trouble. Although, Nori's ongoing game of cat and mouse with Royal Guard _Dwalin_ still confused Dori to no end. At least he knew that the pair weren't seriously out to destroy each other and/or get the other properly killed.

Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur could not believe their eyes as they watched their King treat them like family while the little Hobbit plied them with wonderful food. The brothers and cousin hadn't expected this when they were asked to go on the quest and their devotion as King's Dwarves formally recognized! They had been Thorin's men since the moment when Thorin had insisted on treatment for Bifur's injury at the Battle for Moria. The battle where Thorin earned his deedname of Oakenshield against Azog the Defiler. The healers hadn't even wanted to look at Bifur with the ax embedded in his head, calling it hopeless to try and help him after the battle. It had been Thorin that ordered them to try anyway in honor of how many brothers had already been lost that day, saving Bifur's life. The brothers and cousin-that-was-as-good-as-a-brother were loyal to Thorin from that day onward.

Still Bombur was really looking forwards to trading cooking techniques and recipes with this small hobbit. He knew perfectly well that Thorin and the two Princes had no skill with a cook pot. Although, Thorin's most mentioned flaw was his lack of direction sense above ground. It had gotten the dwarf lost badly enough a few times that Princess Dis had to send out search parties a time or two. Dis finally just made her brother keep someone with him if he was going too far while above ground. All of them knew that Thorin knew his direction sense was terrible. It was also known that he didn't want to take away another person earning money for food for their people just to have the guard he should have had in any case as Prince and now King. Dwalin set him straight on that matter quick enough but Thorin still went out of his way to send as much back to Dis as possible. Every scrap and copper from what the pair of them earned and sent back was to be used to feed and otherwise care for his people.


	10. Feast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, I am not a professional cook.  
You can't really be a good cook without being able to taste whatever food you happen to be making. As a result a large part of why I can't vouch for the reality of the feast food is how many foods simply aren't edible for me because of food sensitivities/allergies & the chemicals/pesticides that are used these days. So if you want to try and replicate anything from this feast you will be doing so at your own risk.
> 
> I opted to post the feast separately. I'm not entirely sure _why_ I did but that's what I'm doing.  
Enjoy!
> 
> * * *

Bilbo started them all off with fresh baked bread, scones, and tiny quiche. The startled looks of wide eyed disbelief as the three royal Durins joined the Hobbit in actively serving food and drink to everyone was so very satisfying. Bilbo caught Thorin and the boys brimming with barely held back laughter as they played servers to the entire company and sent a smirk of his own in their direction.

The next course was a clever mix of cheese dishes and savory meat dishes with an astonishing amount of vegetables hidden within each one. It had taken some arguing when Bilbo told Thorin and the boys his plans for the feast and eventually the hobbit had demanded the trio taste smaller versions before casting judgement. The open shock had been so very satisfying but what had been even more satisfying was the way all four of Bilbo's house guests took to sneaking the leftovers from the smaller batches of vegetable dishes. As a result vegetable dishes made up many of the dishes of this feast.

There were several pumpkins lined with spinach and lettuce leaves filled to the brim with a mix of rice, mushrooms, and various beans covered in a crust of cheese. These pumpkins had been slow baked over night in the warm wood oven alongside several roasts of various types of meat. At least three vegetable-cheese pies littered the table next to sweet potato and squash pies. Potatoes stuffed with grilled tomato pieces, cream cheese, finely chopped chives and green onions. Fried tomatoes of all sorts with a mix of toppings that all leaned heavily on some form of cheese or another. Squash and strips of venison or beef grilled in herb wraps with juicy romaine lettuce leaves to hold them all together. Mashed potatoes mixed with green beans, bacon bits, and slathered in butter. There was even a mix of stuffed bell peppers with browned crumbled ground beef and cheese for those who wanted some zing in their meal.

The third course had whole roast chickens stuffed with homemade stuffing mixed with herbs and artichokes. There was at least one whole roast pig stuffed with various fruits a few hours before it finished cooking which had turned into a reduced fruit sauce. To get this to work Thorin had needed to turn the pig on its back and finish cooking it with the body cavity filled with fruit facing upwards, acting more like a bowl. The various spying hobbits were heard exclaiming in delight over the idea and wondering what else they could do that with. Bilbo just smirked and loudly told the two princes to check the stuffed roasting pumpkins to see if they needed to add more cheese.

Later, while they were still cooking, Thorin mused that the hovering hobbits might demand Bilbo make a cook book with his recipes from this feast before they could leave. Bilbo looked at him wide eyed and hastily enlisted Dwalin into taking notes. As funny as it was to the Durins Bilbo thought it was a real concern considering the well known hobbit love of food. Then there was the various family feuds that revolved around one recipe or another going to one family member over another. Unknown to Thorin family recipes were treated in the Shire as other kingdoms treated jewels or items of power. It was a very reasonable concern that they would be stopped from leaving until Bilbo had handed over at least a few of his recipes from this night if only on the grounds that he might not come back.

Finally, the desert course had pies of all kinds. Meat pies, fruit pies, pies that were more cookie than pie, custard pies, peach crumbles, blackberry pie, strawberry pie, the list went on and on. The whole feast was drunk with ale, mead, tea laced with various forms of alcohol, wine, and other spirits. Bilbo was satisfied by the end of it all by how much his dwarven family were looking at the left overs with longing even as they had to let out their belts by a fair few notches.

Anything left from any and all of the feast courses would be made into travel rations of some form either tonight or in the morning after a breakfast also made from leftovers. To that end there were briskets and rolls and scones cooling in the kitchen waiting to be stuffed with all manner of things left from the feast. Sitting next to those cooling breads, some of which had fruit and/or nuts baked right into them, was four full sheets of cookies and an entire new roll of wax paper waiting to wrap the travel food in. _This_ time Bilbo was determined to feed his dwarves well and keep them fed as best as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those wondering some of the foods were coped from a vision of God's wedding feast while others came from an idea of old time cooking that I have researched in various ways off and on for years. Most of my focus on learning the old time cooking was based heavily around a lack of electricity and fridge/freezers. Stuff that I could replicate in an emergency or refugee situation with a little effort.
> 
> It is in fact possible by technique and cleverness to replicate everything in the feast from this chapter. I did not try for any foods that are not currently possible or not possible with 1800's cooking technology. If there is enough interest I might be talked into doing a companion piece describing the food preparation closely enough that someone can try cooking it. For translation into modern methods, not to mention the fact that I am going to be hopeless at the herb/seasoning blends, you will have to figure out on your own. I simply don't have the experience or cooking knack necessary to give you the herb mixes and only a rough translation for modern cooking with modern appliances.
> 
> For some of the techniques used in this feast check out the Townsends channel over on YouTube.


	11. Questly Details

The feast left everyone happily stuffed and it was Bilbo with Thorin and his nephews who started taking away the extras. The left overs were changed into various forms of long lasting travel rations, set aside for breakfast, and/or made up to go to various neighbors and Bilbo's hobbit relatives, mostly Tooks. The remaining succulent meats would be dried out into jerky or stuffed into rolls for something resembling sandwiches. The cheese dishes were mostly going to be sent along via fauntlings to various neighbors and relatives, _not_ the Sackvile-Baggins.

While Bilbo and the three Durins were very insistently cleaning up and sorting out the leftovers they left Dwalin at the mercy of the Company.

"What exactly was all that brother mine?" Balin asked in an ominous tone.

"Magic giving them memories the rest of us don't have?" Dwalin half asked, half stated. "The problem is that the Valar, including _Aule_ himself, set restrictions on who they can tell about their tasks. Yes, we all get to know but the catch is they aren't sure _when_ they can safely tell us. Master Baggins already knocked himself silly once because he tried to tell someone who wasn't to be told anything something about all of this. I advise you not to push them on this. Its not a matter of not wanting to tell us or even it being a risk in the traditional sense to tell us. Instead the Valar have deemed it important that they _not_ tell us... at least not just yet."

"If anyone doubts then know that Durin's Bane in Moria is a Balrog!" Bilbo called from the kitchen. The thud of a falling body and exclamations of worry from the three assisting dwarves followed quickly by scolding preceded by a groan of pain told Dwalin what had happened.

"Hobbit! Quit trying to get around the restrictions!" Dwalin shouted back with a fierce scowl.

"Such a binding is not placed lightly," Gandalf commented worriedly, occasionally sending concerned looks in the direction of the kitchen.

"Aye, I had gathered that," Dwalin said heavily. "They can speak to us of what they know of the quest after a fashion and of relevant information but trying to warn us of certain things causes a backlash. Things such as other dangers that we wont be dealing with directly for the most part on the quest but might still have an impact otherwise. It has been indicated that they will be able to share more once Erebor is re-taken but until then attempting to share too much causes them pain and could kill them under certain conditions."

"Like walking a high mountain path?" Balin said dryly, fighting back a scowl.

"Exactly," Dwalin groused. "You already heard why young Gimli was requested to join the quest, at least as far as Mirkwood and his Elf."

"What else can be told to us?" Gloin asked intently.

"If they fail in their tasks... Middle Earth falls," Dwalin said bluntly. "We will need to re-write the contracts to handle more than just Erebor and Smaug with no harm clauses that release those who wish to leave the venture after Erebor is reclaimed. I do know for a fact that one of their tasks is in fact the re-claiming of Erebor. The second... has to do with a missing Ring of Power. Beyond that I did not ask and they did not continue to speak of anything beyond the immediate quest within my hearing. I also know that they hold all here in the highest regards from these magic memories and would count everyone here as having their highest trust."

"We weren't the only ones gifted with these memories," Fili said, leaning against the entryway of the room they were now sitting in around the fire.

"Who else?" Gandalf asked, openly troubled by all of this.

"Lord Elrond, his daughter - Arwen, his twin sons - Elladan and Elrohir, his ward - Estel, King Thranduil, Thranduil's son - Legolas, and four small hobbits who havent been born yet," Fili answered simply. "Gimli will get his own memories back when he meets Legolas again."

"Two of the three remaining Elven leaders, an elven maiden being fostered in the court of the third, a young man being raised for his future place among Kings, a dwarven King and his heirs...." Gandalf trailed off for a moment. By this point he was puffing furiously on his recently lit pipe as he thought hard on this new information.

"A powerful and influential group," Balin commented thoughtfully. He was Thorin's steward and aided Dis in keeping the dwarves of Erebor working as a nation. He was also a trained diplomat and skilled in dealing with politics of all sorts. Usually he used those skills to put out fires caused by Thorin's temper or taught the Princes or to help work out contracts for various important agreements.

"Estel can stand for Gondor and Arnor if he takes his place. Uncle can technically call on all dwarven realms as soon as we get the Arkenstone. While Arwen is at Lothlorien she has no say in how her grandmother, Galadriel may reign. Bilbo... is related to the Thain of the Shire, his favorite nephew in fact. Among us all peoples and nearly all Kingdoms are represented," Kili summarized quietly, coming up behind his brother to stand just behind his shoulder. "Our task, with as little detail as possible, is no less than exactly what was accomplished before but with changes that can save lives. This is complicated by the uncertainty of if the enemy, whoever that happens to be in truth, has the same knowledge or not."

"When we reach Rivendell I intend to send a message to Dis ordering the preparation of moving all who will come back to Erebor post haste. They will begin moving as soon as she receives the letter. I will have first checked with Elrond to ensure they have safe harbor in Rivendell on their journey and on the off chance things go badly. If we need to complete the second task before helping to re-build Erebor Dis will be left in charge," Thorin explained. He ushered both his nephews forwards into the room in front of him. "No one here is obligated, bar Gimli, to come on this quest but all of us would like the Company, _our family_, to join us in this."

"I suppose I'll have to leave a message with Uncle Isumbras to prepare food stuffs and other things to be given to the caravans," Bilbo mused as he finally joined them all. "Ah well, I will be building a new home outside the Shire. There is no real reason not to liquidate my estate here to outfit us and the caravans as necessary."

"Why would you give up your home here?" Gloin asked, a strange look in his eye.

"I'm not and yet I am. One of the traditions of the Shire and my Took relatives in particular is that if you change too much to fit in the Shire you make your new home in the outside world. Out of all the families in the Shire the Took clan is the most likely to go on adventures in the outside world. The unspoken agreement is that if you can not, in some way, settle back into the Shire peaceably you find your place in the outside world. There are some exceptions, one of which I qualified for last time we did this but it wont work again," Bilbo explained calmly. "Between the last time, which I and the others remember, and this time I've simply changed too much for the Shire. I would be considered a danger with even more dangerous ideas because I have traveled so extensively and seen battle too often."

"Hobbits value hearth, home, family, and good food to the point that unless the danger threatens a large portion of them any reaction to danger that is not right in front of them is seen as obscene. Or rather reasoned reaction that involves violence is, anything that takes a life, especially the life of a thinking being. Wolves are one of the few exceptions because they are a threat that is simply a part of life," Gandalf observed quietly. "Its left over from wanting to settle in safety after their own wandering days. Its also why Bilbo is so extraordinary for agreeing to come on this quest. Equally, I knew - presuming I had attempted to recruit him last time - that even if the Shire decided he could no longer live here both Erebor and Rivendell would welcome him. Rivendell in memory of his mother and Erebor in memory of his aid with the quest."

"That is not entirely accurate, Gandalf," Bilbo said calmly as he lit his own pipe. Puffing on it a bit he continued speaking as the pipe smouldered in his hand, waiting to be used. "I could have found my place among my Took cousins, barely, and the Bounders if I had tried but it would have taken more time to be accepted. I also hadn't stopped grieving for Thorin and the boys even by the day we sailed for the Undying Lands. There is also the detail that you forgot both this time and last time. Last time I was not asked to leave or to move to the edge of the Shire because of two facts. It was clear that I was grieving and I am, as the Baggins of Bag End, one of the major land holders in this part of the Shire. My death, without certain legal precautions being taken first, could oust many a family from their home. It could and likely would also strip the Shire of 1/3 of the entire Hobbiton crop for the year or more should the fields not on my land remain unplanted to lie fallow."

"What?!" Thorin thundered. He was in complete shock and his nephews next to him were just as surprised.

"You took a major landholder away from his people without recourse and risked sending him after a _dragon_ without informing us?!" Balin growled dangerously. 

"We could have waited a day or two to let him get certain things in order for the quest instead of allowing Uncle to be a broody rude stonehead! We also wouldn't have thought he was saying no after having said yes and backing out without reason!" Fili yelped furiously. "For that matter dumping us on him without warning and what happened after that.... No, Tharkun, you have not been considering all you should as you try to push us into what _you_ want over any objections the rest of us may make!"

"I should shave your beard for what you did before and what you intended this time!" Kili threatened with as much absolute menace his barely adult self could muster.

"Boys!" Bilbo said sharply. "The contract was quite clear what I would be facing and what duties I would have. He did not bully or threaten me into coming on the quest. If you'll recall, the first time I said no and had to catch up to you lot the next morning after I had changed my mind. I was fully aware of what I was getting into, well as much as I could be any way. It was not the contract, gold, or anyone here - then or now - who made my decision. No, what convinced me was that you wanted a home and that song."

"The song?" the princes chorused in confusion as they whipped around to stare at the Hobbit in shock.

"The song," Bilbo confirmed firmly. "It was also a large part of why I was willing to trade away my share to gain us aid afterwards. I was never in it for the gold but to win you a _home_. Dain taking the throne after the three of you died never sat well with me but I am not unfamiliar with the varieties of inheritance laws."

"I assure you I had no idea that Bilbo was a land holder beyond his Smial at all!" Gandalf blustered, attempting to defend himself with dignity. "I knew only that he had no close family still living and was likely to come on the adventure due to his Took blood and his mother's own love of adventure. In regards to the quest its self Smaug has no idea what a Hobbit is and any Hobbit is so incredibly light on their feet as well as very adept at sneaking that they are perfect for this. Presuming, of course, one can convince them to leave the Shire area for the time needed to complete the task."

There was general unhappy grumbling among the dwarves at how Gandalf had picked their original fourteenth member with many a stink eye aimed in his direction. Bilbo, happy with the current resolution, didn't bother to bring up the other parts of Gandalf's mistakes and how the dwarves had presented themselves as uninvited, completely unknown, house crashers.

"Balin, we can either use the original contract you drew up for the Quest to Re-Claim Erebor or we can use my modified ones," Bilbo finally commented. He quickly fetched the tentative new contract copy from its spot for the dwarf to check over. "There are separate sections regarding Erebor, the journey in that direction, and... if anyone wants to help with what else the Valar assigned to us. There is a no fault cancellation clause for certain specific situations, one of which is after the complete disclosure of all details that we can not currently share."

"We know that not only is the Quest for Erebor dangerous so too is our other task," Thorin explained somewhat gruffly. "Young Gimli, your contract will only cover getting you into the presence of your elf. If you wish to continue forwards on one or both of the tasks after your memories are returned to you we will allow you to sign the master contract."

"I haven't drafted up the verbal contract with the Valar on paper yet. Not to mention they may prevent it from being written down until we are done," Bilbo warned, realizing exactly what the stubborn dwarf was doing. "We can get everyone's signature who has already entered into the agreement as we go along. The problem, as I see it, is that anyone not already included by the Valar would possibly need to sign it blind, that is completely unaware what they are agreeing too."

"Which is why we are only making up the contract to serve as an official record and we will need to make a section for those not bound by the Valar in this. Most of that will be acknowledging that they gave an important contribution," Thorin pointed out reasonably. "Among the dwarves it will also act as an official confirmation of the verbal contract of their aid being accepted. Individual deals can be attached as secondary contracts - separate yet interconnected. If we can not record it as a whole until it is finished then we can make individual notes on certain things we can't afford to forget and a general list. No one but one of us will remotely understand it in that form regardless of the written language used."

"Then I see no issue as long as I wont be the one expected to keep track of it all," Bilbo agreed. "I'll likely have my hands full staying sane _not_ thinking about _it_ while we try to complete our tasks."

"Agreed!" Thorin said fervently. "The rest of us can work out the other details involved. You just focus on containing the blasted thing once it comes back into your hands."

"Do I want to know?" Oin wondered aloud.

"No," Dwalin said flatly. Dealing with a Ring of Power, as he had overheard, on the level of risking all of Middle Earth could only mean one thing - the One Ring. He was thoroughly embarrassed with himself for not picking up on it sooner, especially as he had been witness to the effects of the dwarven ring gifted to Thror. He silently swore to himself by all that was holy that if he was right and they were going to deal with the accursed thing than they would have at least Dwalin son of Fundin at their side!

"I see nothing wrong with this contract even if it is a bit... odd," Balin offered up as a distraction, having briefly checked over Bilbo's version of the quest contract. "Ori can copy them out officially as separate contracts or we can do a single master contract as we are all already here with later copies drawn up and notarized. Thorin? Your preference?"

"Why don't we make a master copy to leave with the Thain and smaller, more condensed versions for each of us to carry?" Bilbo offered. "Alternatively, we can make some sort of symbol or special bracelet to act as our trust and signature as part of the Company. That way we wont be carrying around easily lost and destroyed important paperwork."

"A special bead," Kili suggested gleefully. "Bilbo can take a day or two to sort out the extra legal stuff and the rest of us can make special beads or pendents or something to mark the Company!"

"We would have to have pendents for those of us Valar bound and twice-born," Fili mused. "Too many of us are Elves or in positions of power. That doesn't mean we can't have a bead for it too but the others don't wear beads..."

"We would have to discuss it with them at each meeting," Thorin pointed out. "The next time we meet with any of them will be Rivendell and we can consult with Elrond about it. For now focus only on the Company. The Valar bound,as you rascals called us, can wait a bit. Besides, the risk is too high until we get to Rivendell simply by the distance and once the design is decided and forged Elrond can have the final pieces delivered to the others as we focus on our tasks."

"I'll need a few extra things in Rivendell and we need to camp in that particular cave in the Pass even if it isn't raining horrendously this time," Bilbo warned. "The tunnels are... necessary, unfortunately."

"Damn," Thorin swore as he closed his eyes in thought. "We will request at least one elf so that someone can go with you when we are separated."

"No, that wont work. I only succeeded because the creature is mad and I am very good with riddles," Bilbo said grimly. "I know better than to stay my sword this time once I am at the back entrance. If things go poorly..."

"Then we will come back for you," Fili said fiercely. "It might take some time to find you in the tunnels but I bet Thranduil will help us deal with getting you back."

"I would have needed to request it any way as by that point I will have that which we will need to destroy," Bilbo said wanly. "Otherwise I would order you not to."

"We know," Kili said quietly, sad understanding fighting with fierce protectiveness for _their_ Hobbit!

"You don't worry about yourself often enough," Thorin chuckled ruefully. Talk turned to lighter things mixed with a few songs before bed. The next few days were filled with eating leftovers, sorting out final paperwork, and crafting special beads for the members of the Company to wear braided in their hair. The beads would be handed out the night before they were to leave Bag End.


	12. Red-Headed Durins

"Ada, you heard the King. I _must_ go on this journey," Gimli said firmly. They had all been shocked over the information revealed the night of the feast and Gimli had sat down and really thought about what was being asked of them.

It was _important_ to re-claim Erebor as fast as possible or those who lived in Ered Luin would continue slowly dying. Eventually, one winter or another _no one_ would have enough food or fuel to survive until spring. Gimli knew this. He also knew that even if his Ada forbid him to come he would follow after any way. The elf was important to Gimli specifically even without all the rest. Then too it wasn't often that _anyone_ was called by the Valar for a task important enough that all of Middle Earth was at risk.

"I don't want you anywhere near that dragon or those _elves_! You don't need anything from those tree shaggers," Gloin insisted with a growl.

"Ada... he's my One," Gimli said simply.

Gloin opened and shut his mouth several times, not a word passing his lips before forcing himself to sit down.

"Legolas is my One but I am also Craft-wed or were you not paying attention that night?" Gimli said insistently. "I have been _dreaming_ of him! I see the braid and beads in his hair! They speak as plain as day! Claimed as my One to our line and family! _Not_ to bed and match as my match is my _craft_!"

"And what do your dreams tell you is your craft?" Gloin asked quietly. He studied his son intently, _really_ looking at him as a man instead of a boy.

"Wordsmith and diplomat. Aye, I can smith in the forge as well but it is not my gift nor my calling," Gimli said sternly. He knew with all of his heart that he had to make his father _understand_ or all was lost. "As you and Thorin are of Durin's line so to am I and I say to you I know my One and you will _not_ keep us apart! By stone and hammer, gem and blade! I will have my emerald archer or die trying to avenge those who took him from me!"

"Peace my son, peace," Gloin said soothingly. He closed his eyes in resignation before speaking again. "My precious little ruby, you have found your match in craft and an emerald.... Very well, I will sign the contract next to your name. You will join the journey as a child and end it as a warrior and full grown dwarf."

"Thank you Ada," Gimli said gratefully.

"Just don't go telling your mother that I caved to _you_ rather than Thorin!" Gloin snorted, setting them both off in laughter.

"I'm off to help Fili and Kili with designing the beads and pendants," Gimli finally declared sometime later before running off to do just that with his friends.

"Ah, my dear sweet Mari... You will want to string me up by my beard when you hear of this and all I can do is make certain our little ruby makes it back safe... Even if he _is_ dragging home an _elf_ with him," Gloin mused quietly. He rose a short time later at the call for the meal time.


	13. Dreaming Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really debated doing this and when to do it if I did it at all. I finally settled on just going ahead so that I don't have to insist on further confusing people with circular and indirect talk without actually addressing important things unless they are faced with enemies or something...  
Yesh, that actually makes more sense then the convoluted version inside my head. How sad is that?  
Anyway, enjoy!
> 
> * * *

Eru walked with Irmo, the Valar in charge of Dreams, as he wove through the minds of those sleeping in the cozy hobbit hole. At each mind, bar Gandalf, they planted the memories of the previous quest and any life afterwards. As each set of memories was planted so too was a memory copy of the meeting where in the fate of Middle Earth was granted unto Hobbits, Elves, Darrow, and one Man to decide on behalf of all others.

"One year after reaching and opening Erebor do I grant you all to change the path of before. Destroy the ring, tame or slay Smaug, and Gold Madness will never again touch the line of Durin. So too will I grant to all Darrow that they be able to find a One among Hobbits even if their Darrow One is lost to them," Eru whispered into the minds of the Company. "Succeed, Bilbo Baggins, and to all Hobbits will be granted the ability to tie their lives to their spouse that the couple may never be parted except in protection of a little one. The life will be that of the longer lived spouse beginning with the younger spouse's birth year once bound as one in marriage. Take care my children, a great evil hunts you and Azog is but the first open part of the dangers you will face."

With that done the two Valar faded away, leaving those sleeping to relive their previous lives in their dreams. The entirety of Bag End slept deeply, leaving the smial wreathed in silence until well past daybreak.

Thud, Thud, Thud, came the heavy thundering knock to the front door.

"The Drums! Orcs! To arms!" Balin shouted, still mostly asleep as everyone bolted from bed and scrambled for unneeded weapons.

Gandalf, roused by the tumult, let off a loud bang which had everyone turning to him just as they finally woke enough not to go attacking whoever was at the front door. Bilbo, hastily wrapped in a dressing gown, headed for the door with a put upon sigh. Frodo had done something similar a time or two, rudely waking him with a dwarven war cry of various types, so he wasn't that bothered by what had just happened.

"Yes?" Bilbo asked muzzily as he opened his front door with a yawn. He was just grateful they weren't due to leave until the _next_ morning.

"Bilbo Baggins! What's this madness I hear about going off on an adventure and probably not coming back!" Lobelia demanded as she tried to shove her way past him into Bag End.

"Whatever your objection is take it up with the Thain and the Valar. Though I gather the problem is likely more that I am giving Bag End to the Thain rather than to _you_," Bilbo said sharply. Dealing with this particular cousin was always distasteful and this particular morning it provided a nasty wake up call as he tried to keep the greedy woman out of his home.

"Hobbit, it would be wise to leave," Nori said from directly behind Bilbo, startling his host badly, as he smiled toothily at the pushy woman. "I promise you trying to take from _this_ smial is a _very_ bad idea."

Lobelia took one look at the thief, eyed how he was fondling the dagger at his waist, and humphed before turning around and stalking back down the pathway.

"Thank you Nori," Bilbo said quietly as he shut the door again. Glancing at the sun's position from the windows he judged that they had slept to just past Elevensies. Next meal would be Luncheon and he needed to get started on cooking if they were to eat in a timely manner.

"If we face the trolls again don't get caught this time, yeah?" Nori said with a grin and a clap to a suddenly wide-eyed Bilbo's shoulder. The thief smirked at him before wandering back into the smial whistling.

"Right," Bilbo said, nodding to no one, as he firmed his resolve and headed off to make food for his guests.  
It was plainly obvious by the time the food was ready that everyone except Gandalf and Gimli had gotten their memories back in full. Although those same memories were left dimmed by time rather than returned crystal sharp and clear.

"You aren't going back to Moria!" Dwalin argued with Balin as Bilbo bustled about the table, setting up a buffet style meal.

"It must be re-taken!" Balin argued right back. "We had _Durin's Axe_!"

"No Moria until we have a solution to the Balrog!" Bilbo order as he smacked Balin with a towel that had been laid over his shoulder a few seconds prior. "Figure out Smaug before trying to take on the blasted Balrog that killed Gandalf the last time around. The goblins and Orcs infesting the place will need to be handled as well. If we are lucky we can recruit from the Kingdoms of Men and among the Elves for those wishing to hunt Orcs and Goblins in the tunnels. Either way you _are_ taking more warriors this time. I'll not loose you three to that place again!"

"Evil Ring and Dragon first, everything else after," Thorin ordered as he joined the growing crowd at the table for the mid-day meal. There was a round of grumbling from various darrow who wanted to complete various things but no argument on the overall priorities.

"What's going on?" Gimli asked carefully. It was clear to him that something had happened last night. Oh Mahal, he desperately hoped that the words from last night's dream were a true promise from the Valar!

"I haven't the foggiest," Gandalf confided to the young dwarf.

"Eru and Irmo must not have included you in last night's message and gifting of memories," Bilbo commented, humming thoughtfully.

"It was real!" Gimli realized in bright delight. "I didn't get anything but the message though."

"That's fine," Bilbo assured him. "You are a bit young and its probably pushing it to let you remember in any case with you away from Legolas. There are things that only Legolas can explain because of all of us only he was there with you. I think its quite sensible that Eru has left your memories mostly bound for the moment."

"Is there anything else anyone wants for the journey?" Fili pipped up after seeing Bilbo's words cheering up his red-headed friend.

"We are starting out a bit early with us leaving tomorrow," Bilbo hummed thoughtfully.

"That is because I didn't bother going back to Ered Luin to recruit, nor did I try to sway the other Dwarven Kingdoms to join in on the venture," Thorin stated dryly. "The boys and I moved from Bree to Hobbiton before Gandalf could catch up to me there and sent for the rest of you with the quest roughly outlined for my sister. Rumors to draw in more members for the company were at her discretion, something I should have done the first time. We woke up around 3 months prior to our original arrival at Bag End and started moving things forwards immediately. Eru told us to change things as much as possible to avoid melting back into the first history which is now only for those of us who remember and no others."

"I take it you know about the map and key then?" Gandalf asked hesitantly.

"Yes, we do," Bilbo said curtly. "However, I will be insisting on another stop in Rivendell even if we don't have to because of the trolls and Orc hunting party like last time. We need to consult over more than just the map with Elrond. It will also allow us to leave the ponies somewhere safe."

"Don't mean we have to like it," Dwalin grumbled into his beer.

"So what Ring?" Nori asked, opting to divert the conversation before an argument broke out over visiting Rivendell.

"The ring that I had picked up under the Misty Mountains when we were separated the first time and I want nothing more spoken of it until we have it back and Smaug is dead," Bilbo said firmly. That very nicely shut down that avenue of conversation.

"At least this time Thranduil can't stop us," Thorin smirked evilly.

"If the two of you insist on fighting I have no doubt that Legolas and Gimli, once his memories are returned, will happily help me with something drastic. A drastic action that _will_ make the two of you be able to at least work together one way or another," Bilbo threatened mildly. "I will not allow past disagreements and insults to ruin our tasks."

"We'll see," Thorin grumbled into his mug of ale. At least he and the boys could form the beads and pendants properly once they got to Rivendell. They had a tentative design and getting Elrond's input would let Thorin get a look at the renowned healer's own skill in the forge. It was something he seriously looked forwards to. Letting Bilbo think he was going to fight going to Rivendell was just a bonus since it got him more just talking time with the hobbit.

The meal passed relatively peacefully after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dream Valar Name fixed - 9-12-19


	14. Mirkwood Family Tree

Thranduil scowled as he stalked down a hallway in the royal wing where his personal rooms and that of his son happened to be located. Stocking up on extra food stores plus the additional kingdom wide training plans combined with the stock piling of everything that would be needed for open war had kept him busy. He just hadn't been busy _enough_. The first thing that Legolas had done upon their return to their younger bodies was flatly inform his father that any attempt to keep him from Gimli would result in bad things. More specifically Legolas would leave Mirkwood and seek asylum with Thorin and refuse to speak to Thranduil for at least as long as Gimli lived. Thranduil looked into his son's eyes and knew that in this he was beaten. Any attempt to keep them separate or make this special dwarf unwelcome in any fashion would lose him his son.

"Is it your wish to claim this dwarf to our family?" Thranduil finally whispered, resignation clear in every line of his face.

"Yes," Legolas said emphatically. "He is my One. I do now claim Gimli son of Gloin son of Groin as family under the call of one to another that he may be counted as my Match."

"So be it," Thranduil said, closing his eyes as he allowed his shoulders to slump. "Gimli son of Gloin son of Groin is to be considered of our family from this day forwards as Legolas' Match and One with the understanding that an heir must be produced at some point."

"You..." Legolas blinked in shock. "I thought you would accept him to me only, not to our family as a whole..."

"I may not be fond of dwarves, especially those of Durin's Folk, but that does not change the fact that you are soul bound to each other," Thranduil pointed out ruefully. "You have both chosen to acknowledge this bond as that of brothers instead of forcing it into that of lovers as many a foolish one has done in the past. Male and Female were created as such to join and multiply in being fruitful. You have claimed Gimli as your bonded family, acknowledging the bond without trying to make it into that form of it which is shared by those who are male and female. I see no reason not to accept him into the family. You have both chosen well... even if I personally can't understand the appeal."

"You are still going to mess with Thorin," Legolas observed neutrally.

Thranduil broke out in an unrepentant smirk. Legolas wisely chose to escape with his own victory. He had, hopefully, avoided being drawn into plotting pranks or some other such activities against Oakenshield's Company that was due to pass through their kingdom before the year was up. Honestly, the pouting was better than the devious mischief from his father! How did the elf even manage to make such a mischievous smirk look actively evil without actual malice?! It wasn't right!

Thranduil allowed his smirk to gentle into an honest smile as his son fled, completely unaware of being pranked by his own father.

"Why?" the red-headed captain of the guard, Tauriel, asked cautiously.

"Because if I am to accept a dwarf of Durin's Folk as a son I am most certainly going to torture Legolas a bit for insisting on it," Thranduil answered, with hidden amusement dancing in his eyes. "I realize now, after the odd meeting with the Valar, that you see my son as a brother. I also acknowledge this bond and accept you as my daughter from this day forth. That said don't be surprised if Legolas asks for your aid in gaining a pure elven heir. I will let the pair of you work it out as you will if it comes to that."

"I..." Tauriel was speechless. Yes, they had all been told that the two royals had been summoned to a dream meeting with the Valar, if only to keep people from thinking they had gone mad. The catch was that no one knew what had happened in that meeting, only that they were to stockpile supplies and prepare for war. Tauriel had needed to rework the spider hunting parties more than once to include everyone who wanted to use the foul things as practice dummies. This? This was completely out of no where.

"I expect you to move into the family wing by the end of the month," Thranduil smirked before wandering in the relative direction of the dinning hall, leaving behind a speechless Captain of the Guard. The equally stunned normal guards stationed in the throne room stared at their commander in shock until she snapped at them.

Supper that night in Mirkwood was an interesting affair as Thranduil insisted on the changes being made public before sitting back and enjoying the show as peaceful chaos ensued.

Eru smirked invisibly from just behind Thranduil's shoulder. It was a start.


	15. Warg Calls in the Night

The start of the journey out of the Shire was largely uneventful aside from Gimli and Gandalf being a bit left out as everyone caught up with each other. They had largely avoided discussing anything from their last life during the stay at Bag End as a sort of unconscious safety precaution. Bilbo gently directed the conversation away from himself and his life until they were outside of the Shire proper and well past Bree. It was no hardship to him as he fondly watched his dwarves become a proper close family again.

The few arguments and old grievances that arose were solved during evening sparring matches with Dwalin and Bilbo acting as mediators. Dwalin would help tire whoever it was out or separate fights that were getting a touch too heated. Meanwhile Bilbo would wield words to help sort everything out or solve an issue, usually by pointing out a solution that they hadn't thought of. Thorin, for his part, couldn't help but be proud that the entire Company accepted Bilbo's judgements on the various issues so readily. For himself and his Hobbit Thorin planned to make sure Bilbo knew he had the Company as family and heavy hints would be aimed at keeping them all together.

Out of everything good happening as they traveled Bilbo couldn't help but worry in the back of his mind about the Ring and Smaug.

One night, just as they had the last time, Warg howls echoed through the darkness surrounding their camp.

"I guess it was too much to hope that we wouldn't have to deal with Azog this time around," Gloin commented sourly. He was sharpening his ax, knowing that when his son regained his memories he would have to return it to young Gimli. Another ax or sword would have to be picked up as a replacement in Rivendell or Mirkwood if he couldn't talk someone in the Company into forging him a proper one.

"Training time will be cut in half or ongoing as we move to avoid being too tired to fight..." Dwalin started only to be interrupted by Thorin.

"Training will be forms only and no longer than half a candle mark at a time to avoid being too tired to defend ourselves or run as needed," Thorin corrected. "Further training will occur at Rivendell but cease or be minimal after that in consideration of the dangers that we faced last time. Upon entering Mirkwood, even if Thranduil actually helps this time, we will be rationing any food and water immediately to avoid running out or consuming something tainted. We can not assume that everything will go as it did before if only because we are different than before and have young Gimli along."

"Are we by-passing the trolls?" Bilbo asked quietly. He was just lighting up his pipe in preparation for a nice smoke.

"How often have those blades saved us?" Thorin shot right back. He could get away without using the extra warning that the old elven blades gave... technically. Bilbo, on the other hand, probably needed it and taking some of the gold from the Troll hoard would help later. They would just have to stitch it into clothing hems, not in the easily lost cloaks, and the like or add inside pockets to various wearable items at Rivendell.

"Right then, I'll start gathering some poisonous plants. I'd much prefer to trick those brutes into being poisoned or put to sleep until daylight than let them have another proper go at eating all of us," Bilbo sighed around his lit pipe. "Those blades being able to give early warning for goblins and orcs like that is just too valuable. Sting saved my life a little too often on this quest the first time to want to pass it up again even if it would be more sensible in some ways to avoid the trolls."

"Yes," Thorin chuckled in complete agreement. "Your Sting's warning kept us from being asleep and completely unaware when the goblin trap sprung. This time through we will not bother putting out our bed rolls. It will be easier to just grab the packs and run... mostly."

"Did you forget they tore those packs apart pretty good?" Nori snarked with a chuckle.

"Then we had best make sure that the most important things are on us but not in our packs shouldn't we?" Bilbo said pointedly. "And no stealing or breaking furniture in Rivendell!"

Nori pouted but didn't argue the point. It was just one more thing that showed they trusted Bilbo. Nori would obey... mostly.

"We're due to find the trolls soon," Dwalin remarked carefully, offering up a subject change back to the original topic. Nori sent him a rueful smirk an nodded towards the Royal Guard Captain in quiet thanks.

"As I said, we should probably try to poison them in some way, if we plan to deal with them at all, no matter how dishonorable the tactic happens to be," Bilbo said severely. "I will not risk nearly loosing you lot to those rock-for-brains again."

"Will you tell us what happened under the Misty Mountains this time?" Thorin asked mildly. It wasn't like he hadn't noticed the evasion the first time around. It was only that they had suddenly important matters of surviving Azog's attack before any more pointed questions could be asked.

"... Now or after at Beorn's?" Bilbo asked hesitantly, immediately gaining the attention of the entire Company with his hesitation.

"Hobbit, what did you do?" Thorin asked in his best parent "I know you've done something wrong, now spill" tone.

Bilbo winced and contemplated if it would be better to flatly explain it now, before they even reached Rivendell, or force everyone to wait for the relative safety of Beorn's home.

"I can't tell you without risking it not happening or having it happening in the wrong way or letting someone else get there first. I'm sorry Thorin but until I have passed through the Misty Mountains in a similar manner as last time I can't speak of it. Not to you or the boys, not to Elrond and his sons, not to Aragorn, and not to Gandalf," Bilbo said carefully. "Just know that at that point if I say we need to do something and it isn't safe to explain.... well draw your own conclusions."

"Caution or geis?" Thorin asked just as carefully.

"Geis... mostly but also a healthy dose of caution," Bilbo admitted. "We didn't get into specifics during the first meeting but this is very much a part of it all... its just something that I likely have to do alone. If we get separated again, well, I'll tell you when we rest in safety again afterwards if you insist but waiting until Smaug is dead might be best."

Yes, they had talked about the ring before but that had been in either the relative safety of the Shire lands or in the dream-vision with the Valar. Bilbo hadn't realized that the geis extended to the ring even as he had pushed the sharing of knowledge before everyone woke up. It appeared that the Valar were not going to be taking any chances with the knowledge of the ring getting out to the wrong people. Bilbo couldn't blame them considering what the blasted thing actually was.

Grumpily Thorin relented and if he made sure that Bilbo bedded down next to himself and the boys well that was nobody's business but theirs. Dwalin smirked a bit at how protective his long time friend was being. He made a mental note to have at least one of them follow Bilbo over the walkway edge under the Mountains so that Bilbo had back up close by.

Warg howls and an occasional responding wolf call echoed through the night. Double the people on the watch shifts was clearly a must as they all got what sleep they could.


	16. Training Bilbo

"Right, we can't really train you with a sword until we have your Sting back but knives are another matter. As a bonus a long knife or dagger for one of the big races is about right for you to use as some form of short sword," Nori started explaining without warning. The thief had snagged Bilbo as soon as they were both awake to start running him through basic defenses and weapons training.

Bilbo shifted uncomfortably. He had managed to completely dodge formal weapons training up to this point, not wanting to try working on it until he had his primary weapon back or they officially decided to abandon the elvish blades to the troll hoard. Instead he had been working hard at firmly establishing his place as a proper part of the Company. It was something that hadn't been possible last time until they had reached Beorn's little sanctuary and Bilbo had still been something of an outsider when he had left after the battle.

The hobbit was quietly and very firmly establishing that he wouldn't put up with the same nonsense as last time and that he was there to stay. It had smoothed over more than a little of the lingering feelings from the previous trip and no one begrudged him the private scolding they had each been subject to at one point or another. The re-born dwarves felt that it was a very lenient punishment for how poorly they had treated him last time. Bilbo, for his part, didn't expect the general meekness to last much longer and planned to get them to stop being stupid about it all very shortly.

"Yes, well, hobbits aren't much for battle," Bilbo explained awkwardly. "Traditionally, we favor bows, staves, shepherd slings - which generally work with any skill at conkers, traps, strategy, and generally cleverness or out thinking our opponents. There have been a few who favored clubs and those who used their loaded slings more as a... morning star I believe its called? but we avoid battle when possible."

"When you can't?" Dwalin asked bluntly, joining the impromptu training group.

"Assuming that at that time we don't have proper weapons, largely due to the rarity of metal in the Shire? Bill hooks, scythes, kitchen knives, walking sticks - which is where I got the staves, and anything else that might be at hand. Its usually the Bounders, Rangers, and the occasional farm hand or hunter of which I am none of those," Bilbo explained patiently. "I am a gentle hobbit and as such am more of a land owner and rent collector. I never forgot what I learned on this quest the last time but they considered me quite mad for joining you, _both_ times. I believe I may very well qualify as the first warrior hobbit in... several generations at the very least. Though the proper term would probably be closer to warrior-scholar hobbit I suppose."

"Right, that was part of why we had to stay in your comfortable smial for so long. I had forgotten about that," Nori winced.

"You would be a Lord among darrow if I translated the cultures correctly," Balin pitched in as he joined them. "You would probably be placed at roughly the same spot as my brother and I or even with Fili and Kili since your Uncle is Thain."

"Not the boys," Bilbo corrected quickly. "Assuming that the Thain counts as the same as a King, which he doesn't, Uncle Isumbras was just the most suited to be Thain after grandfather passed on. He's actually the third son. Mother was a favorite in the family but she was also a girl for all that she was first born and couldn't inherit anything before marriage. Its a bit much to think of but counting my mother into it all grandfather had 12 children. I am actually more of a rarity for being an only child. Assuming that inheritances laws also applied to the title of Thain... I would be far and away down on the list to receive that title."

"The important part for the stuffed shirts posing as proper dwarfish Lords, and most _other_ Lords is that you _would_ be on the list," Balin pointed out firmly. "Assuming all of your mother's generation of your family died and that the Thainship was in fact a direct inheritance... who would be in front of you?"

"Cousins Fortinbras son of Isembras the current Thain, Adalgrim son of Hildigrim, Flambard son of Isembard, and Sigisimond son of Hildibrand. Uncle Isembold is just married and Aunt Mirabella hasn't married yet though she is being courted something fierce... why?" Bilbo asked suspiciously. He had used the dwarven naming scheme of naming the father as a way for the others to tell his cousins apart. "I always found it a bit odd when I realized that most of my generation, at least among my branch of the Tooks, didn't have children or only had the one..."

"Then you are far enough away from the hobbit crown not to be risking the Shire and the hobbits on this quest but easily close enough to be in the line of succession," Balin said bluntly. "You still count as royalty when reckoned by those not of the hobbits no matter how much you might argue. Yes, your cousins are all related to your mother through their fathers but you _are_ more than close enough..."

"What are you getting at?" Bilbo asked warily.

"Bilbo is a prince that gave up his home and station to help us..." young Gimli summarized in more than a little awe. "He gave up his people but made sure that his duty was fulfilled and his people taken care of before helping, entering exile to help reclaim Erebor."

"Ah..." Bilbo said, with a touch of uncertainty. He still wasn't all that sure what they found so important or fascinating about his family tree even with his uncle being Thain.

"They'll be writing ballads about you before long!" Groin snickered into his beard as he worked on packing up his gear.

Bilbo decided that he didn't like the considering way the rest of the Company was looking at him with this new information. Gandalf was just sitting there smirking at him as the old grey beard smoked his pipe, refusing to correct Balin's presumptions.

"Don't tell me..." Bilbo started weakly, his statement aimed more towards Gandalf than anyone else.

"They are entirely correct by the reckoning of Kingly standards outside the Shire," Gandalf confirmed. "By any reckoning but that of the Shire you are a prince. One who has entered a willing exile to aid Durin's Folk in ending Smaug and re-taking Erebor for them to once more have a home."

"At least now we know that you've got training in handling land duties and the like with your scholastic endeavors," Balin smirked. "I'm the only one, aside from what I've tried to get the boys to learn, who has any aptitude for such management. Thorin was taught but it isn't his strong suit. We just have to bring up your warrior training to a half way decent level and you'll fit right in as a part of the court."

"One of the few I will be able to trust who _can_ manage such things," Thorin tossed in as he walked past while Bilbo was spluttering in protest at being part of the court.

"Right, so knives, daggers, short swords, and things that work for distance but not strength. Speed and accuracy are going to be key with _very_ sharp blades. Poisons? ...maybe," Nori said thoughtfully as the last of the campsite was put away. "I'll need to think on it a bit."

"You do that," Dwalin grunted as he started plotting his own training plans for the hobbit. Nori could handle the underhanded stuff. Dwalin, along with Balin, were going to have to cover formal challenges and things like honorable combat. Nori's teachings would work for keeping Bilbo alive in the wilds while Dwalin's and Balin's would help him in high dwarven society.

"You didn't train with a weapon?" Fili asked in disbelief. "Not even once?"

"Why would he need to if he just stayed in their Shire?" Kili reminded his brother. "We saw how peaceful and nice it was even with half of them acting like we were demons ready to snatch one of the little ones away. It was a far sight better than most other places we've had to work!"

"Which is exactly why I couldn't afford to be seen training even if the memories hadn't renewed my grief over the three of you every time," Bilbo sighed. He was completely oblivious to how Thorin was watching him thoughtfully. "Actual weapons are reserved for the Rangers and the occasional expert Bounder. The only reason my mother ever got away with it is because her father was Thain, she mostly used a bow or staff, and she was the favorite darling wild Took girl of the Shire. Yes, she carried a few small knives hidden in her skirts but those were a family secret for a reason."

Bifur and Bofur exchanged a look before setting about searching for properly sized branches of good hardwood. They would make their hobbit wooden training blades - Knives, Daggers, Short Swords - and a solid walking stick. If they carved them right the wooden blades could be used as weaker versions of real blades in a pinch until the company managed to forge proper ones for their hobbit.

Bombur considered his battle ladle and his two cousins. He would mention to them several wooden cooking utensils that could be turned to weapons in a pinch. Surely as a fellow cook Bilbo might like the option of familiar cooking items that doubled as weapons... even if they had to be wood for now.

A very thoughtful company returned to the road that morning.


	17. Troll of a Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this should have been up hours ago... I fell asleep during editing. *head bowed in silly shame with fake tears*  
Sorry. Enjoy!
> 
> * * *

Bert, Tom, and William thought themselves very clever for trolls. They remembered this farmer and his family and they remembered the dwarves with the burglarhobbit that came after. They didn't like the burglarhobbit all that much but Tom wanted to keep him to help with the cooking properly this time. Unfortunately, this line of thought and memory only had them keeping the farmer's wife and daughter alive. The father and son were promptly eaten with the goat and cow. They would wait for the burglarhobbit and his dwarves. If nothing else the ponies that came with the group would be a good test of the burglarhobbit's cooking skill. They could always cook the two human women and the dwarves tomorrow night...

Muriel and her daughter Lily tried to stay quiet and out of the way. If what the stupid trolls were saying had any sense to it then they might be rescued by the traveling group of dwarves. Muriel prayed desperately that they would arrive in time to save her little girl.

Evening found the Company once more approaching the ruined farmstead.

"Are we letting the boys lose the ponies again or are we just going to ambush the trolls directly as we know where their camp and hoard happen to be?" Bilbo wondered aloud as everyone was setting up camp. "For that matter should we even keep the ponies? They wouldn't fit through the secret passageway."

Nori, not distracted by Bilbo's slew of questions, took the pre-arranged chance to sneak off towards where the troll hoard was. It was still daylight and he wanted to scout everything better than last time. If he just happened to be able to set up traps or trick the trolls into what little sunlight remained to the day then it was one more enemy gone that they wouldn't have to fight.

The hobbit and the thief had consulted at odd moments. Nori knew that Dwalin had picked up on what he was doing. The impromptu lessons for Bilbo and the four youngest dwarves on common poisons used at court with Oin teaching them all the antidotes had made _that_ particularly clear. It was still decided between thief and burglar that they couldn't balance the encounter the same way as last time. Instead they would have to be even more clever and possibly quite underhanded. Thus Nori would scout and if necessary the pair would involve the rest of the Company for an actual fight. The hope was to use methods heavily relying on stealth and strikes from the shadows or poisons to end the over muscled threat of the trolls.

Nori approached the cave with a cheerful whistle, trying to get the attention of the trolls. The first thing he had done in the area after sneaking around very quietly - with no signs of local life beyond an occasional uprooted tree - was to set up traps. Specifically he set up simple trip wires using some rope at the appropriate height across the cave entrance. Even if one of them wouldn't trip into the sunlight it would bring them down close enough to the ground. As a result when they finally did leave the cave someone could get a blade or arrow through their eye into their skull and possibly their brain as well.

It was a simple trick but often times the clever use of something simple was the most effective. Such things had often saved Nori's life in the past and he remembered Bilbo using the same tactics on the first go around.

"Oi, who's that?" Bert's voice called out from the cave in response to Nori's cheerfully whistled tune.

"Ah? Someone visiting the farmer? I was on my way to see him myself. I just got a bit lost," Nori called out cheerfully. "Where are you and can you give me directions to the farmstead?"

"Sorry, we can't help you until we are done with this thing in the cave. It will be after sunset by then... unless you come inside and help us that is..." Tom's voice called out. He was being unusually canny for a troll.

The short scream from a little girl had Nori's blood running cold. The farmer and his family had already been dead by this point last time. He had assumed there were no innocents present to be protected. He had been wrong.

"Run Lily!" another voice cried and a little girl barreled around the bend in the rock that protected the cave entrance only to trip just before hitting the rope. Young quick fingers and feet caught the rope and used it to swing the stumbling feet under it and roll the small body away. Nori didn't hesitate, he snatched up the girl and bolted. The woman, he knew, would not escape as her last scream was cut off.

The trip back to camp was made in grim silence as the small girl clutched at him, crying her heart out into the shoulder of his tunic.

Barreling into camp with a sobbing child clutched in his arms set the mood immediately.

"They hadn't finished the family off all the way yet but I only managed to get the girl. The mother died as we escaped," Nori reported shortly. Bilbo and Dori were already at his side checking the girl over and trying to sooth her.

"We'll send the twins after the blades, let them pull the more deadly form of their mischief on the Trolls," Bilbo decided grimly. "Getting to Rivendell as fast as possible just got pushed up the list."

"Agreed," Thorin said bluntly. A child is a precious thing and the presence of the girl changed everything.

"I'll carry her if we have to run on foot," Dori offered stoutly. The Ri brothers were well known for their strength.

"As we still have the ponies and my horse she can ride with me as we make for the fjord," Gandalf offered immediately. No one argued as they re-packed what little was set up and set off, the little girl riding in front of the wizard and trying not to fall asleep from crying so hard. The distant warg howls as the sun set, close enough to reach them by tomorrow, just spurred them onwards faster.

"Need some help?" came a call as they exited the forest. Ridding up to the group was an Elven patrol and a half, lead by two identical rascals grinning impishly at the Company as a whole.

"We couldn't deal with the trolls this time but we rescued a little girl," Bilbo called back immediately. Elrond's twin sons knew when to joke and when to be serious. It was clear to the hobbit they had been planning on joining the Company at their camp that night partly as a prank and partly as early reinforcements.

"We heard the wargs about half an hour ago," twin one offered up a little more seriously.

"Don't worry Bilbo, we will deal with the trolls and get your swords back later," twin two promised. "Right now we should get back to father."

"Agreed," Gandalf said forcefully as he got them moving again, this time for the more normal entrance to the valley of Rivendell. None would rest until they were in the safety of the Last Homely House.

The ride passed uneventfully if warily as they made it to safety with only warg calls in the night getting closer to worry them.


	18. Bard the Bowman

Bard dreamed oddly. He dreamed of a group of dwarves that woke Smaug. He dreamed of using the final black arrow against the flying fire and death as his son stood strong in front of him, acting as a guide for the firing of the fell arrow. He dreamed of a mad dwarven King that nearly cost him his children only for the dwarf to waken enough from his madness to help protect his people and finally fall to a white Orc. He dreamed of rebuilding Dale and being tricked more than once by men who came forwards with ideas that were not good for his people, only for their greedy pockets. He dreamed of a meeting between a mad creature and a wary, travel worn, tired being of similar size. He dreamed of a field where he learned that the travel worn being was a hobbit and was tasked with destroying the One Ring.

"Go to Thranduil and confirm that which I have shown you. Do not speak of this inside the forest or anywhere but the ruins of Dale. Trust not any but your family and the family of Thranduil in this meeting for a new evil stalks the land seeking first to return Sauron and then to claim all of Middle Earth for its own. Greed, pain, suffering, wanton destruction, deceit, famine, and war are works of this new force," a voice whispered in Bard's mind. He drifted calmly in a place between sleep and wakefulness as he listened and watched and learned. "The hobbit _must_ be protected. The ring he will find and carry _must_ be destroyed. Heir of Dale, we of the Valar gift you the memories of the world now lost. Time is being rewoven against a foe that was to be one of the Valar, not only Sauron. Join with the others who now remember what will never again be. Call your people to arms. Let no lie, deceit, greed, nor unkindness flourish for it will be your downfall. The dwarves the Hobbit now travels with must be watched if they are to complete their second chance. For they too have been gifted memories of the world that once was and can never again be."

"What of my children?" Bard whispered back. This was too big for him but if it was to protect his children he would just have to suck it up and deal with it as best he could, starting with that which was in front of him. If this voice spoke truth he would have to dethrone the Master of Laketown and prepare for the Dragon and possibly _war_.

"They hang in the balance for if these changes fail all of Middle Earth will _fall_. Choose wisely," the voice told him before allowing him to wake fully.

"Irmo," Bard said softly into the darkness of the night. The Valar who had gifted him his dreams, attempting to gain more help for the Company in their tasks, faded from the world with a smile. Eru had given him permission to seek out and recruit several more people but no one under the age of adulthood for their people. He had a few more people to visit and try to convince to help. Bard had been one of the easiest and thus one of the first. The night would be a long one for the Valar of Dreams.

It was less than a month later that Bard found himself, his children, Guard Captain Taureil, Prince Legolas, and King Thranduil meeting in the ruins of Dale. Among the stones and half destroyed buildings of Dale Bard's worst fears were confirmed and Taureil learned the real reasons they were preparing for war.

"The Valar must have decided that we weren't enough to change things," Thranduil concluded his explaination with a frown. He was glad there was no issue sharing everything with Taureil and Bard's children. "I suppose there is some sense in gifting you your memories as you killed Smaug the first time."

"It is my understanding that I will have to depose the Master and start getting us ready for war," Bard summarized, clenching his jaw tightly. He was a largely peaceful man who just wanted to love his family and occasionally go fishing. Grand ambissions were never his thing, protecting his people was something else entirely.

"You are the Heir of Dale and it would be nice not to have to deal with that greedy fool," Legolas pointed out. He had a good working relationship with Bard and even managed to visit his children from time to time.

"We have until what the dwarves call Durin's Day," Thranduil stated flatly. His old dragon burn injuries were bothering him again so his temper was shorter than he liked. The glamor he kept over his injuries would waver if he pushed too hard, both Legolas and Taureil knew to watch for it.

"We have little time then," Bard grimaced.

"Da? Would it help if we helped?" Tilda asked carefully. "We know lots of people who would be happy if you were in charge."

"I can talk to the other boys and some of the men," Bain offered immediately. He was staring at his father with a straight back and a puffed up chest.

"I can go with Tilda and talk to some of the women," Sigrid giggled. "Its ever so fun to runaway and let Tilda catch me in silly places!"

"Sigrid!" Tilda complained. It was clear that she hadn't quite realized that her sister had been messing with her on her little escapes.

"Time is short. I recieved word that they would be in Rivendell any day now," Thranduil commented. "Once Smaug is dealt with Thorin should be willing to open what is left of Erebor's armories to help face the Orcs and the Goblins."

"I have no doubt that he will also let us put your people inside of Erebor's walls once Smaug is ended," Legolas pointed out somewhat thoughtfully.

"And if Smaug flies again? Attempts to burn down Laketown?" Bard asked evenly. They had lost many people to dragon fire in the last timeline.

"Can we not move the women and children with the town's provisions into the main hall my King?" Taureil asked carefully. Yes, Thranduil had formally adopted her but she was still feeling her way into a less professional relationship with him.

"The dwarves of Erebor did actively aid in restoring Dale afterwards.... Once Thorin arrives we can discuss it and have everything written up for their fondness of written contracts," Thranduil mused before turning back to Bard. "Have your people ready to move. If I can not accomodate them at least moving them out of Laketown will help protect them. Your children and any other children will have sanctuary in my halls regardless."

"Thank you my lord," Bard said gratefully. Even just protection for the children was far and away more than he expected with how the Master's interactions with the elves could have spoiled things.

"Elves love children. Have no fear. Should the worst happen I have no doubt there will be many among our people willing to adopt them, one and all," Legolas said, smirking softly. He knew that he would adopt Bard's children himself it Bard did not survive what was to come.

Thranduil narrowed his eyes at his son, recognizing the way he was looking at Bard's children and mentally sighed. He hadn't, after all, put any restrictions on Legolas adopting children. He would have to have a private conversation with his son. Adopting the three was fine but they could not stand as heirs to Mirkwood and its Woodland kingdom, they simply would not live long enough with their short mortal lives.

"May I request a few of your guard or soldiers to help give at least _some_ training to my people for the upcoming battle?" Bard asked quietly, distracting the king from his contemplations of the prince.

"Once the Master is dealt with or you arrange for another method of taking command of your people," Thranduil allowed. He really didn't like the greedy Master of Laketown.

They finalized a few more rough plans before the meeting ended. Durin's Day was approaching quickly after all.


	19. To Speak of Children

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from my suspension! I was suspended over a story starter/companion I posted but never expanded upon and no, I couldn't get the suspension lifted because the admins wouldn't even talk to me. They ignored my attempts to get it sorted and just flatly banned me over my christian based posting with orders to take it down after my suspension lifted and no recourse.
> 
> Fair warning to my readers I may be leaving this site in the future due to this incident and previous ones.  
Currently I only post on AO3, FFN, and TtH. Anywhere else does not have my permission but I can't stop them - especially the ones not in english. Should I leave this site I will be actively removing _everything_ under my name that doesn't have a co-author.
> 
> * * *

Nori brooded as he sat on the edge of the bed the elves had provided in the healer's wing. The girl was laying peacefully under the covers, having cried herself to sleep for a second time after begging Nori to stay with her. Thorin had looked at the thief with a "its your choice" look and Nori had stayed.

"You know if I thought I could get away with it safely I would adopt her but with our quest and other task it isn't safe," Bilbo commented from the doorway of the room. Nori looked up in time to see Bilbo's wistful expression before it disappeared.

"You want children of your own," Nori observed lightly.

"Yes but until both of our tasks are done it would be ill done of me to try, too much risk," Bilbo agreed regretfully. "It is the same reason that I can not adopt anyone. I have asked Lord Elrond to see to her and he has agreed. She will choose what willing family will adopt her and be well taken care of."

"Still, you will be able to have children even if you get as battered as last time. The Valar did promise you enough healing for that at least," Nori reminded him. Then he thanked the hobbit. "Thank you for speaking to Elrond on her behalf. I can't adopt her for much the same reason as yourself."

Yavanna and Eru had specifically promised Bilbo children after all, the hobbit only needed to survive through completing the assigned tasks. This quest and dealing with the Ring had such powerful implications for his people and for Bilbo himself, becoming a fully fertile hermaphrodite, that the full impact was incalculable. For dwarves the ending of the threat of Gold Madness in the line of Durin and the gifting of a One among the hobbits as well as any existing One among dwarves. For the hobbits? Never needing to be parted from their own One early except when defending a child to the death and being able have children with any race born out of love.

Nori deeply suspected that Thorin was pursuing their burglar. He hadn't set up the betting pool yet but the way they orbited around each other was fairly telling to the entire company. Of course since Bilbo had working female bits or rather female bits that would be working once the ring was destroyed they should all be calling him a her if they went by mannish or elvish reckoning. Then again until a dwarf had at least one child they all used the male pronouns so it wasn't as confusing for the dwarves as it would be for a Man or an Elf. Mother was the greatest crafting title one could attain among the dwarves for it only applied to females and it was the crafting of _life_. Father was another honored title for it meant that they were deemed worthy to help shape the life as the child grew to adulthood.

"Think nothing of it," Bilbo chuckled. "I don't know whether you all noticed or not but I've rather adopted the entire company."

"Oh, we noticed. We just weren't sure what to make of it since we don't know how hobbit adoptions work," Nori chuckled right back.

"Ah, that. Its still informal right now but that has more to do with me making certain you would all _want_ to be a part of my household and family," Bilbo admitted. "Plus, as I doubt I'll ever return to the Shire, I need to learn the dwarven form first before I can do anything about it..."

Nori slowly smiled before setting about teaching the hobbit about dwarven braids and their meaning as well as explaining the beads they all wore. He would later drag most of the company into the explanations and giving examples.


	20. Flight

Thorin Oakinshield stood back from the forge he had borrowed in Rivendell. In front of him lay a pile of medallions, various beads, and an assortment of small blades. The longest blade would only count as a mid-length dagger in the hands of a Dwarf or as a slightly long knife in the hands of Man or Elf. All of the items bore his makers mark and the symbol decided upon for the venture to change _time_. A simple burning leaf on one side and the round door of Bag End on the opposite side with dark braided leather wrapping hilts for the blades or acting as a necklace cord for the rest. The combined symbol would only be worn once the first two Valar assigned tasks of Erebor and the Ring were done. Every member of the Company and of the original dreaming group would get a blade to go with their pendant and bead. The original dreamers would each receive something extra, a feather added to the combined symbol, once the tasks were complete. The lack of feather or combination in the symbol was a visible promise of completing the tasks and protecting Middle Earth. The burning leaf alone would be worn openly on their clothes until they had successfully reclaimed Erebor.

The single extra set that was different from the rest was for Bilbo alone. Thorin had crafted him a dwarven crest, marking him as a recognized noble among his people. Had it been done in cloth instead of the metals of silver and steel it would have shown a purple crystal hovering above flames and bracketed by a pair of downward pointing daggers on a field of green. The King-in-Exile hoped to one day add a slash of Durin blue to the background to indicate the hobbit's joining his family in some fashion. The direction of the slash and thickness of the band of blue would indicate Bilbo's status when joining the Durin line.

"Saruman! The white wizard approaches!" came the sudden cry from the elven sentries, startling the dwarf from his contemplation of what he had crafted. Dread pooled in Thorin's gut as he shoved the piles into a random empty bag nearby and bolted for the Company's rooms.

"Pack! We must flee!" Thorin barked unnecessarily as he entered a hive of activity. From the look of things Bilbo and Dwalin had the Company moving the moment they had heard the warning cry.

"I will delay Saruman as best as I can," Gandalf told them firmly. "Get to the Greenwood! Do not wait for me. I will catch up as best I can."

"Don't go off with that traitor alone," Bilbo told him forcefully. He nearly fainted from the effort of giving the warning but since it was still somewhat related to the quest for Erebor the only cost from the binding of his future knowledge was a temporary weakness that quickly passed.

"Stubborn hobbit!" Thorin scowled fiercely. He quickly pulled out the items set aside for Arwen, Aragorn, Elrond, and Elrond's twin sons. They would remain behind on one of the beds with a note for those who would receive them.

"Lindar prepared emergency belt packs on Lord Elrond's orders and my recommendation. Each can be kept on your belt with a measure of elven rope, several loaves of elven travel bread, a small elven made blade, and a fire kit," Aragorn offered. He had run into the group shortly after their arrival at Rivendell and helped arrange for various things when Elrond was too busy. The elven cloaks hidden in the replacement blankets were a surprise that he had suggested, knowing how useful they had been to the Fellowship.

Between Aragorn and Elrond's twins the Company had received additional training and new elven clothes during their stay. There was still some grumbling that dwarven wares were better but Bilbo made certain that anything which was too worn was replaced and any low supplies were replenished. Pockets were firmly introduced to both the elven tailors and the Company with firm instructions that certain items, a blade and a fire making kit, were to be kept in them. Bilbo explained that, at least for _this_ journey, they were likely to loose anything that was not in or a part of their clothes baring anything they kept to hand at all times like weapons. Pockets, interior ones especially, were quietly marveled over by all but the now very practical Hobbit.

"The small blades will help in detecting any Orcs or Goblins then," Oin commented approvingly. Such a basic kit, even if they didn't care for the travel bread, could be an enormous boon. One more medium pouch on the belt for each of them was more than worth the trouble of not loosing such a boon.

"Don't waste time sorting anything out, we can hand things out at camp tonight," Bilbo ordered before Thorin could. As a result the scramble for items shifted from looking for their own things to just grabbing what part of the Company's gear was near them.

"Come on Estel! We need to get them out before the traitor sees them!" Elrohir hissed at his foster brother.

"We can't let him see Estel either," his twin, Elladan, snorted. "We don't know what the enemy knows as you well know!"

Aragorn just groaned at the bickering pair. The trio would escort the Company to the edge of the elven lands where they would leave them and take up a patrol route back to Rivendell as a precaution. Lord Elrond was known to occasionally receive visions so his slightly altered presence of power would be put down to a vision. The changed presence of his sons however could only be attributed to somehow becoming twice born over night or a major magical working. Saruman could not be allowed to see _any_ of the twice born and even Elrond meeting with him, as was necessary, would be a great risk.

**Author's Note:**

> Ideas are always welcome!


End file.
